5672 


3  1822  01194  5672 


DIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  SAN 

tA  JOLIA 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OB 
CALIFORNIA 

•^fi  01  EGO 


ISAAC   T.    HOPPER: 


A    TRUE    LIFE. 


L .    MARIA  |C  H  I  L  D 


Thine  was  a  soul  with  sympathy  imbued, 
Broad  as  the  earth,  and  as  the  heavens  sublime ; 

Thy  godlike  object,  steadfastly  pursued, 
To  save  thy  race  from  misery  and  crime. 

Garrison. 

TWELFTH    THOUSAND. 


BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED  BY  JOHN  P.  JEWETT  &  COMPANY 

CLEVELAND,    OHIO: 

JEWETT,  PROCTOR  &  WORTHINGTON. 

LONDON:    LOW  &   CO. 

1853. 


ENTERED  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in   the  year  1853,   by 

JOHN     HOPPER, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New-York. 


TO 

HANNAH    ATT MORE    HOPPER, 


WIDOW      OF      THE      LATE 


ISAAC       T.     HOPPER, 


THIS  VOLUME  IS  RJ 


BY  HER  GRATEFUL  AND  ATTACHED  FRIEND, 

L.  MARIA  CHILD. 


PREFACE. 


THIS  biography  differs  from  most  works  of  the  kind,  in 
embracing  fragments  of  so  many  lives.  Friend  Hopper  lived 
almost  entirely  for  others  ;  and  it  is  a  striking  illustration  of 
the  fact,  that  I  have  found  it  impossible  to  write  his  biography 
without  having  it  consist  largely  of  the  adventures  of  other 
people. 

I  have  not  recounted  his  many  good  deeds  for  the  mere 
purpose  of  eulogizing  an  honored  friend.  I  have  taken  plea- 
sure in  preserving  them  in  this  form,  because  I  cherish  a 
hope  that  they  may  fall  like  good  seed  into  many  hearts, 
and  bring  forth  future  harvests  in  the  great  field  of  humanity. 

Most  of  the  strictly  personal  anecdotes  fell  from  his  lips  in 
familiar  and  playful  conversation  with  his  sister,  or  his  grand- 
children, or  his  intimate  friends,  and  I  noted  them  down  dt 
the  time,  without  his  knowledge.  In  this  way  I  caught  them 
in  a  much  more  fresh  and  natural  form,  than  I  could  have 
done  if  he  had  been  conscious  of  the  process. 

The  narratives  and  anecdotes  of  fugitive  slaves,  which  form 
such  a  prominent  portion  of  the  book,  were  originally  written 

v 


VI  PREFACE.      *• 

by  Friend  Hopper  himself,  and  published  in  newspapers, 
under  the  title  of  "  Tales  of  Oppression."  I  have  re-modelled 
them  all ;  partly  because  I  wished  to  present  them  in  a  more 
concise  form,  and  partly  because  the  principal  actor  could  be 
spoken  of  more  freely  by  a  third  person,  than  he  could  speak 
of  himself.  Moreover,  he  had  a  more  dramatic  way  of  telling 
a  story  than  he  had  of  writing  it ;  and  I  have  tried  to  embody 
his  unwritten  style  as  nearly  as  I  could  remember  it.  Where- 
ever  incidents  or  expressions  have  been  added  to  the  publish- 
ed narratives,  I  have  done  it  from  recollection. 

The  facts,  which  were  continually  occurring  within 
Friend  Hopper's  personal  knowledge,  corroborate  the  pic- 
tures of  slavery  drawn  by  Mrs.  Stowe.  Her  descriptions 
are  no  more  fictitious,  than  the  narratives  written  by  Friend 
Hopper.  She  has  taken  living  characters  and  facts  of 
every.-day  occurrence,  and  combined  them  in  a  connect- 
ed story,  radiant  with  the  light  of  genius,  and  warm  with 
the  glow  of  feeling.  But  is  a  landscape  any  the  less  real,  be- 
cause there  is  sunshine  on  it,  to  bring  out  every  tint,  and  make 
every  dew-drop  sparkle  ? 

Who  that  reads  the  account  here  given  of  Daniel  Benson, 
and  William  Anderson,  can  doubt  that  slaves  are  capable  of 
as  high  moral  excellence,  as  has  ever  been  ascribed  to  them 
in  any  work  of  fiction  ?  Who  that  reads  Zeke,and  the  Quick 
Wilted  Slave,  can  pronounce  them  a  stupid  race,  unfit  for 
freedom  ?  Who  that  reads  the  adventures  of  the  Slave 
Mother,  and  of  poor  Manuel,  a  perpetual  mourner  for  his  en- 
slaved children,  can  say  that  the  bonds  of  nature  are  less 


PREFACE.  Vll 

strong  with  them,  than  with  their  more  fortunate  white 
brethren?  Who  can  question  the  horrible  tyranny  under 
which  they  suffer,  after  reading  The  Tender  Mercies  of  a 
Slaveholder,  and  the  suicide  of  Romaine  ? 

Friend  Hopper  labored  zealously  for  many,  many  years  ; 
and  thousands  have  applied  their  best  energies  of  head  and 
heart  to  the  same  great  work ;  yet  the  slave-power  in  this 
country  is  as  strong  as  ever — nay,  stronger.  Its  car  rolls  on 
in  triumph,  and  priests  and  politicians  outdo  each  other  in 
zeal  to  draw  it  along,  over  its  prostrate  victims.  But,  lo ! 
from  under  its  crushing  wheels,  up  rises  the  bleeding  spectre 
of  Uncle  Tom,  and  all  the  world  turns  to  look  at  him  ! 
Verily,  the  slave-power  is  strong ;  but  God  and  truth  are 
stronger. 


CONTENTS. 

GENERAL   INDEX. 

Allusions  to  his  Parents,  from  1  to  3,  from  25  to  28,  252. 

Anecdotes  of  Childhood,  from  3  to  25. 

Allusions  to  Sarah  his  Wife,  24,  36,  43,  46,  249  to  252,  289  to  293, 

377,  382,  466.  • 

Allusions  to  Joseph  Whitall,  25,  27,  44  to  46,  466. 
Anecdotes  of  Apprenticeship,  27  to  35. 
His  Religious  Experience,  36  to-  46. 

Tales  of  Oppression  and  Anecdotes  of  Colored  People,  48  to  212. 
Anecdotes  of  Prisoners  and  of  Vicious  Characters  in  Philadelphia, 

from  212  to  243. 

His  Love  of  Fun,  244  to  248,  364  to  374. 
Allusions  to  his  Private  Life  and  Domestic  Character,  249,  377  to 

380,  458  to  464. 

Anecdotes  connected  with  Quakers,  from  255  to  276. 
Schism  in  the  Society  of  Friends,  273  to  286. 
Anecdotes  connected  with  his  Visit  to  England  and  Ireland,  296  to 

313. 
Anti-Slavery  Experiences  in  New- York,  314  to  334,  340  to  303, 

384,  385,  447  to  458. 
His  Attachment  to  the  Principles  and  Usages  of  Friends,  255,  380 

to  383,  458. 
Disowned  by  the  Society  of  Friends  in  New-York,  386  to   39S, 

465. 
His  Connection  with  the  Prison  Association  of  New- York,  409  to 

444,  470  to  473,  481  to  485. 
His  Illness,  Death,  and  Funeral,  470  to  493. 
ix 


PARTICULAR  INDEX. 

His  birth,  1. 

Anecdote  of  his  Grandmother's  Courage,  2. 
His  Childish  Roguery,  4  to  9. 
His  Contest  with  British  Soldiers,  9. 
His  Violent  Temper,  10. 
Conscientiousness  in  Boyhood,  11. 
Tricks  at  School,  6,  7,  10,  11. 
Going  to  Mill,  12. 
Going  to  Market,  13. 
Anecdote  of  General  Washington,  15. 
Pelting  the  Swallows,  16. 

Anecdote  of  the  Squirrel  and  her  young  ones,  18. 
The  Pet  Squirrel,  20. 
The  Pet  Crow,  21. 
Encounter  with  a  Black  Snake,  23. 
Old  Mingo  the  African,  23. 
Boyish  Love  for  Sarah  Tatum,  24.     » 
His  Mother's  parting  advice  when  he  leaves  Home,  28. 
Mischievous  Trick  at  the  Cider  Barrel,  28. 
He  nearly  harpoons  his  Uncle,  29. 
He  nearly  kills  a  Fellow  Apprentice,  29. 
Adventure  with  a  young  Woman,  31. 
His  first  Slave  Case,  33. 
His  Youthful  Love  for  Sarah  Tatum,  36. 
Nicholas  Wain,  37. 
Mary  Ridgeway,  38. 
William  Savery,  38. 
His  early  Religious  Experience,  43. 
Letter  from  Joseph  Whitall,  44. 
He  marries  Sarah  Tatum,  46. 
X 


PARTICULAR   INDEX.  tl 


His  interest  in  Colored  People,  47. 

Charles  Webster,  48. 

Ben  Jackson,  51. 

Thomas  Cooper,  55. 

A  Child  Kidnapped,  66. 

"VVagelma,  70. 

James  Poovey,  73. 

Romaine,  77. 

David  Lea,  80. 

The  Slave  Hunter,  80. 

William  Bachelor,  83. 

Levin  Smith,  88. 

Etienne  Lamaire,  91. 

Samuel  Johnson,  96. 

Pierce  Butler's  Ben,  98. 

Daniel  Benson,  104. 

The  Quick- Witted  Slave,  108. 

James  Davis,  112. 

Mary  Holliday,  116. 

Thomas  Harrison,  122. 

James  Lawler,  123. 

William  Anderson,  126. 

Sarah  Roach,  129. 

Zeke,  133. 

Poor  Amy,  137. 

Manuel,  139. 

Slaveholders  mollified,  145. 

The  United  States  Bond,  149. 

The  tender  mercies  of  a  Slaveholder.  1 57. 

The  Foreign  Slave,  160. 

The  New- Jersey  Slave,  164. 

A  Slave  Hunter  Defeated,  168. 

Mary  Morris,  173. 

The  Slave  Mother,  176. 


Ill  PARTICULAR    INDEX. 

Coionel  Ridgeley's  Slave,  179. 

Stop  Thief!  185. 

The  Disguised  Slaveholder,  189. 

The  Slave  of  Dr.  Rich,  192. 

His  Knowledge  of  Law,  202. 

Mutual  Confidence  between  him  and  the  Colored  People,  204. 

Mercy  to  Kidnappers,  206. 

Richard  Allen,  the  Colored  Bishop,  208. 

The  Colored  Guests  at  his  Table,  210. 

Kane  the  Colored  Man  fined  for  Blasphemy,  21 1. 

John  Mc'Grier,  212. 

Levi  Butler,  215. 

The  Musical  Boy,  217. 

Mary  Norris,  220. 

The  Magdalen,  221. 

The  Uncomplimentary  Invitation,  222. 

Theft  from  Necessity,  224. 

Patrick  M'Keever,  225. 

The  Umbrella  Girl,  229. 

The  two  young  Offenders,  237. 

His  courageous  intercourse  with  violent  Prisoners,  242. 

Not  thoroughly  Baptized,  245. 

The  puzzled  Dutchman,  245. 

Hint  to  an  Untidy  Neighbor,  247. 

Resemblance  to  Napoleon,  248,  314. 

The  Dress,  Manners,  and  Character  of  Sarah,  his  wife,  249  to  252, 

382,  466. 

The  Devil's  Lane,  254. 
Jacob  Lindley's  Anecdotes,  25(5. 

Singular  Clairvoyance  of  Arthur  Howell,  a  Quaker  Preacher,  258. 
Prophetic  Presentiment  of  his  Mother,  262. 
The  aged  Bondman  emancipated,  264. 
A  Presentiment  of  Treachery,  266. 
The  Quaker  who  purchased  a  Stolen  Horse,  270. 


PARTICULAR    INDEX.  Xlll 

Elias  Hicks  and  the  Schism  in  the  Society  of  Friends,  273  to  286. 

Pecuniary  difficulties,  287  to  291. 

Death  of  his  Wife,  291. 

Death  of  his  son  Isaac,  292. 

Journey  to  Maryland,  and  Testimony  against  Slavery,  293. 

His  marriage  with  Hannah  Attmore,  294. 

Removes  to  New- York,  296. 

Matthew  Carey's  facetious  Letter  of  Introduction,  296. 

Anecdotes  of  his  visit  to  England  and  Ireland,  296  to  313. 

Anecdote  of  the  Diseased  Horse,  302. 

Visit  to  William  Penn's  Grave,  309. 

The  Storm  at  Sea.     Profane  Language  rebuked,  312. 

The  Clergyman  and  his  Books,  313. 

His  Book-store  in  New- York,  313. 

The  Mob  in  Pearl-Street,  315. 

Judge  Chinn's  Slave,  316. 

One  of  his  sons  mobbed  at  the  South,  319. 

His  Letter  to  the  Mayor  of  Savannah,  327. 

His  Phrenological  Character,  335. 

His  Unconsciousness  of  Distinctions  in  Society,  339. 

The  Darg  Case,  340. 

Letter  from  Dr.  Moore,  356. 

Mrs.  Burke's  Slave,  357. 

Becomes  Agent  in  the  Anti- Slavery  Office,  363. 

His  youthful  appearance,  363,  491. 

Anecdotes  showing  his  love  of  Fun,  364  to  374. 

His  sense  of  Justice,  374. 

His  Remarkable  Memory,  375. 

His  Costume  and  Personal  Habits,  378  to  380. 

His  Library,  380. 

His  Theology,  381.  ,  ,±' 

His  Adherence  to  Quaker  Usages,  382. 

Capital  Punishment,  383. 

Rights  of  Women,  384. 


XIV  PARTICULAR    INDEX. 

Expressions  of  gratitude  from  Colored  People,  95,  384,  385,  476. 
His  fund  of  Anecdotes  and  his  Public  Speaking,  385,  415. 
Remarks  of  Judge  Edmonds  thereon,  412. 
His  separation  from  the   Society  of  Friends  in  New- York,   386  to 

399. 

Visit  to  his  Birth-place,  399. 
Norristown  Convention,  400. 
Visit  from  his  Sister  Sarah,  401. 
Visit  to  Boston,  401. 
Visit  to  Bucks  County,  406. 
Prison  Association  in  New- York,  409. 
Correspondence  with  Governor  Young,  413. 
Preaching  in  Sing  Sing  Chapel,  415. 
Anecdotes  of  Dr.  William  Rogers,  417,  459. 
Interesting  Cases  of  Reformed  Convicts,  419  to  443. 
Letter  from  Dr.  Walter  Channing,  444. 

Anecdotes  of  William  Savery  and  James  Lindley  at  the  South,  446. 
Sonnet  by  William  L.  Garrison,  448. 

His  sympathy  with  Colored  People  turned  out  of  the  Cars,  448. 
A  Methodist  Preacher  from  the  South,  452. 
His  Disobedience  to  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law,  455. 
His  Domestic  Character,  249,  377  to  380,  458  to  464. 
He  attracts  Children,  460. 

His  Garden  described  in  a  Letter  to  L.  M.  Child,  461. 
Likenesses  of  him,  464. 
Letter  concerning  Joseph  Whitall,  466. 
Letters  concerning  Sarah  his  wife,  466,  467. 
Letter  to  his  Daughter  on  his  80th  Birth-day,  469. 
Allusions  to  Hannah,  his  wife,  294,  370,  379,  476,  481. 
Letter  resigning  the  agency  of  the  Prison  Association,  472. 
His  last  Illness,  470. 
His  Death,  481. 

Letter  from  a  Reformed  Convict,  481. 
Resolutions  passed  by  the  Prison  Association,  482. 


PARTICULAR    INDEX.  XV 

Resolutions  passed  by  the  Anti-Slavery  Society,  484. 

His  Funeral,  485. 

Lucretia  Mott,  486,  487. 

Public  Notices  and  Private  Letters  of  Condolence,  487  to  493. 

His  Epitaph,  493. 


I  was  a  father  to  the  poor  :  and  the  cause  which  I  knew  not  I  searched  out. 

When  the  ear  heard  me,  then  it  blessed  me  :  and  when  the  eye  saw  me,  it 
gave  witness  to  me : 

Because  I  delivered  the  poor  that  cried,  and  the  fatherless,  and  him  that  had 
none  to  help  him. 

The  blessing  of  him  that  was  ready  to  perish  came  upon  me  :  and  I  caused 
the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for  joy.     Job  xxix.    16,  11,  12,  13. 


XVI 


LIFE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 


ISAAC  TATEM  HOPPER  was  born  in  Deptford 
Township,  near  Woodbury,  West  New- Jersey,  in 
the  year  1771,  on  the  third  day  of  December,  which 
Quakers  call  the  Twelth  Month.  His  grandfather 
belonged  to  that  denomination  of  Christians,  but  for- 
feited membership  in  the  Society  by  choosing  a  wife 
from  another  sect.  His  son  Levi,  the  father  of  Isaac, 
always  attended  their  meetings,  but  never  became  a 
member. 

A  family  of  rigid  Presbyterians,  by  the  name  of 
Tatem,  resided  in  the  neighborhood.  While  their 
house  was  being  built,  they  took  shelter  for  a  few 
days,  in  a  meeting-house  that  was  little  used,  and 
dug  a  pit  for  a  temporary  cellar,  according  to  the 
custom  of  new  settlers  in  the  forest.  The  country 
at  that  time  was  much  infested  with  marauders  ;  but 
Mrs.  Tatem  wras  an  Amazon  in  physical  strength  and 
courage.  One  night,  when  her  husband  was  absent, 
and  she  was  alone  in  the  depths  of  the  woods  with 


2  LLFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

three  small  children,  she  heard  a  noise,  and  looking 
out  saw  a  band  of  thieves  stealing  provisions  from 
the  cellar.  They  entered  the  meeting-house  soon  af- 
ter, and  she  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  call  out, 
"  Hallo,  Jack !  Call  Joe,  and  Harry,  and  Jim ! 
Here's  somebody  coming."  The  robbers,  supposing 
she  had  a  number  of  stout  defenders  at  hand,  thought 
it  prudent  to  escape  as  quickly  as  possible.  The 
next  day,  her  husband  being  still  absent,  she  resolved 
to  move  into  the  unfinished  house,  for  greater  securi- 
ty. The  door  had  neither  lock  nor  latch,  but  she 
contrived  to  fasten  it  in  some  fashion.  At  midnight, 
three  men  came  and  tried  to  force  it  open  ;  but  every 
time  they  partially  succeeded,  she  struck  at  them 
with  a  broad  axe.  This  mode  of  defence  was  kept 
up  so  vigorously,  that  at  last  they  were  compelled  to 
retreat. 

She  had  a  daughter,  who  was  often  at  play  with 
neighbor  Hoppers  children ;  and  when  Levi  was 
quite  a  small  boy,  it  used  to  be  said  playfully  that 
little  Rachel  Tatem  would  be  his  wife,  and  they 
would  live  together  up  by  the  great  white  oak ;  a 
remarkable  tree  at  some  distance  from  the  homestead. 
The  children  grew  up  much  attached  to  each  other, 
and  when  Levi  was  twenty-two  years  old,  the  pro- 
phecy was  fulfilled. 

The  young  man  had  only  his  own  strong  hands 
and  fire  or  six  hundred  acres  of  wild  woodland. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  3 

He  grubbed  up  the  trees  and  underbrush  near  the 
big  white  oak,  removed  his  father's  hen-house  to  the 
cleared  spot,  fitted  it  up  comfortably  for  a  temporary- 
dwelling,  and  dug  a  cellar  in  the  declivity  of  a  hill 
near  by.  To  this  humble  abode  he  conducted  his 
young  bride,  and  there  his  two  first  children  were 
born.  The  second  was  named  Isaac  Tatem  Hopper, 
and  is  the  subject  of  this  memoir. 

Rachel  inherited  her  mother's  energy  and  co'urage, 
and  having  married  a  diligent  and  prudent  man,  their 
worldly  circumstances  gradually  improved,  though 
their  family  rapidly  increased,  and  they  had  nothing 
but  land  and  labor  to  rely  upon.  When  Isaac  was 
one  year  and  a  half  old,  the  family  removed  to  a  new 
log-house  with  three  rooms  on  a  floor,  neatly  white- 
washed. To  these  the  bridal  hen-house  was  append- 
ed for  a  kitchen. 

Isaac  was  early  remarked  as  a  very  precocious 
child.  He  was  always  peeping  into  everything,  and 
inquiring  about  everything.  He  was  only  eighteen 
months  old,  whfen  the  new  log-house  wras  built ;  but 
when  he  saw  them  laying  the  foundation,  his  busy 
little  mind  began  to  query  whether  the  grass  would 
grow  under  it ;  and  straightway  he  ran  to  see  whether 
grass  grew  under  the  floor  of  the  hen-house  where 
he  was  born. 

He  was  put  to  work  on  the  farm  as  soon  as  he 
could  handle  a  hoe  ;  but  though  he  labored  hard,  he 


4  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

had  plenty  of  time  and  strength  left  for  all  manner 
of  roguery.  While  he  was  a  small  fellow  in  petti- 
coats, he  ran  into  a  duck-pond  to  explore  its  depth. 
His  mother  pulled  him  out,  and  said,  "Isaac,  if  you 
ever  go  there  again,  I  will  make  you  come  out  faster 
than  you  went  in."  He  thought  to  himself,  "  Now 
I  will  prove  mother  to  be  in  the  wrong  ;  for  I  will  go 
in  as  fast  as  I  can,  and  surely  I  can't  come  out  any 
faster."  So  into  the  pond  he  went,  as  soon  as  the 
words  were  out  of  her  mouth. 

A  girl  by  the  name  of  Polly  assisted  about  the 
housework.  She  was  considered  one  of  the  family, 
and  always  ate  at  the  same  table,  according  to  the 
kindly  custom  of  those  primitive  times.  She  always 
called  her  mistress  "  Mammy,"  and  served  her  until 
the  day  of  her  death  ;  a  period  of  forty  years.  The 
children  were  much  attached  to  this  faithful  domes- 
tic ;  but  nevertheless,  Isaac  could  not  forbear  playing 
tricks  upon  her  whenever  he  had  opportunity. — 
When  he  was  five  or  six  years  old,  he  went  out  one 
night  to  see  her  milk  the  cow.  He  had  observed 
that  the  animal  kicked  upon  slight  provocation  ;  and 
when  the  pail  was  nearly  full,  he  broke  a  switch  from 
a  tree  near  by,  slipped  round  to  the  other  side  of  the 
cow,  and  tickled  her  bag.  She  instantly  raised  her 
heels,  and  over  went  Polly,  milk-pail,  stool,  and  all. 
Isaac  ran  into  the  house,  laughing  with  all  his  might, 
to  tell  how  the  cow  had  kicked  over  Polly  and  the 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  5 

pail  of  milk.  His  mother  went  out  immediately  to 
ascertain  whether  the  girl  was  seriously  injured. — 
"  Oh,  mammy,  that  little  rogue  tickled  the  cow,  and 
made  her  do  it,"  exclaimed  Polly.  Whereupon,  Isaac 
had  a  spanking,  and  was  sent  to  bed  without  his  sup- 
per. But  so  great  was  his  love  of  fun,  that  as  he  lay 
there,  wakeful  and  hungry,  he  shouted  with  laughter 
all  alone  by  himself,  to  think  how  droll  Polly  looked 
when  she  rolled  over  with  the  pail  of  milk  after  her. 
When  he  was  seven  or  eight  years  old,  his  uncle's 
wife  came  one  day  to  the  house  on  horseback.  She 
was  a  fat,  clumsy  woman,  and  got  on  and  off  her 
horse  with  difficulty.  Isaac  knew  that  all  the'family 
were  absent ;  but  when  he  saw  her  come  ambling 
along  the  road,  he  took  a  freak  not  to  tell  her  of  it. 
He  let  down  the  bars  for  her ;  she  rode  up  to  the 
horse-block  with  which  every  farm-house  was  then 
furnished,  rolled  off  her  horse,  and-  went  into  the 
house.  She  then  discovered,  for  the  first  time,  that 
there  was  no  one  at  home.  After  resting  awhile, 
she  mounted  to  depart.  But  Isaac,  as  full  of  mis- 
chief as  Puck,  put  the  bars  up,  so  that  she  could  not 
ride  out.  In  vain  she  coaxed,  scolded,  and  threat- 
ened. Finding  it  was  all  to  no  purpose,  she  rode  up 
lo  the  block  and  rolled  off  from  her  horse  again. — 
Isaac,  having  the  fear  of  her  whip  before  his  eyes, 
ran  and  hid  himself.  She  let  down  the  bars  for  her- 
self, but  before  she  could  remount,  the  mischievous 


6  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

urchin  had  put  the  bars  up  again  and  run  away. — 
This  was  repeated  several  times  ;  and  the  exasperat- 
ed visitor  could  never  succeed  in  catching  her  tor- 
mentor. His  parents  came  home  in  the  midst  of  the 
frolic,  and  he  had  a  sound  whipping.  He  had  cal- 
culated upon  this  result  all  the  time,  and  the  uneasy 
feeling  had  done  much  to  mar  his  sport ;  but  on  the 
whole,  he  concluded  such  rare  fun  was  well  worth  a 
flogging. 

The  boys  at  school  were  apt  to  neglect  their  les- 
sons while  they  were  munching  apples.  In  order  to 
break  up  this  disorderly  habit,  the  master  made  it  a 
rule  to  take  away  every  apple  found  upon  them. — 
He  placed  such  forfeited  articles  upon  his  desk,  with 
the  agreement  that  any  boy  might  have  them,  who 
could  succeed  in  abstracting  them  without  being  ob- 
served by  him.  One  day,  when  a  large  rosy-cheeked 
apple  stood  temptingly  on  the  desk,  Isaac  stepped 
up  to  have  his  pen  mended.  He  stood  very  demure- 
ly at  first,  but  soon  began  to  gaze  earnestly  out  of 
the  window,  behind  the  desk.  The  master  inquired 
what  he  was  looking  at.  He  replied,  "  I  am  watch- 
ing a  flock  of  ducks  trying  to  swim  on  the  ice.  How 
queerly  they  waddle  and  slide  about !"  "  Ducks 
swim  on  ice  !"  exclaimed  the  schoolmaster  ;  and  he 
turned  to  observe  such  an  unusual  spectacle.  It  was 
only  for  an  instant ;  but  the  apple  meanwhile  was 
transferred  to  the  pocket  of  his  cunning  pupil,  He 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  7 

smiled  as  he  gave  him  his  pen,  and  said,  "Ah,  you 
rogue,  you  are  always  full  of  mischief !" 

The  teacher  was  accustomed  to  cheer  the  mono- 
tony of  his  labors  by  a  race  with  the  boys  during 
play  hours.  There  was  a  fine  sloping  lawn  in  front 
of  the  school-house,  terminating  in  a  brook  fringed 
with  willows.  The  declivity  gave  an  impetus  to  the 
runners,  and  as  they  came  among  the  trees,  their 
heads  swiftly  parted  the  long  branches.  Isaac  tied 
a  brick-bat  to  one  of  the  pendant  boughs,  and  then 
invited  the  master  to  run  with  him.  He  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  got  the  start  in  the  race.  As  he 
darted  through  the  trees,  the  brick  merely  grazed 
his  hair.  If  it  had  hit  him,  it  might  have  cost  him 
his  life ;  though  his  mischievous  pupil  had  not  re- 
flected upon  the  possibility  of  such  a  result. 

There  was  a  bridge  across  the  brook  consisting  of 
a  single  rail.  One  day,  Isaac  sawed  this  nearly  in 
two ;  and  while  the  master  was  at  play  with  the  boys, 
he  took  the  opportunity  to  say  something  very  im- 
pertinent, for  which  he  knew  he  should  be  chased. 
He  ran  toward  the  brook,  crossed  the  rail  in  safety, 
and  instantly  turned  it  over,  so  that  his  pursuer  would 
step  upon  it  when  the  cut  side  was  downward.  It 
immediately  snapped  under  his  pressure,  and  pre- 
cipitated him  into  the  stream,  while  the  young  rogue 
stood  by  almost  killing  himself  with  laughter.  But 
this  joke  also  came  very  near  having  a  melancholy 


8  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

termination  ;  for  the  master  was  floated  down  several 
rods  into  deep  water,  and  with  difficulty  saved  him- 
self from  drowning. 

There  was  a  creek  not  far  from  his  father's  house, 
where  it  was  customary  to  load  sloops  with  wood. 
Upon  one  of  these  occasions,  he  persuaded  a  party 
of  boys  to  pry  up  a  pile  of  wood  and  tip  it  into  a 
sloop,  in  a  confused  heap.  Of  course,  it  must  all  be 
taken  out  and  reloaded.  When  he  saw  how  much 
labor  this  foolish  trick  had  caused,  he  felt  some  com- 
punction ;  but  the  next  temptation  found  the  spirit 
of  mischief  too  strong  to  be  resisted. 

Coming  home  from  his  uncle's  one  evening,  he 
stopped  to  amuse  himself  with  taking  a  gate  off  its 
hinges.  When  an  old  Quaker  came  out  to  see  who 
was  meddling  with  his  gate,  Isaac  fired  a  gun  over 
his  head,  and  made  him  run  into  the  house,  as  if  an 
evil  spirit  were  after  him. 

It  was  his  delight  to  tie  the  boughs  of  trees  to- 
gether in  narrow  paths,  that  people  travelling  in  the 
dark,  might  hit  their  heads  against  them  ;  and  to  lay 
stones  in  the  ruts  of  the  road,  when  he  knew  that 
farmers  were  going  to  market  with  eggs,  in  the  dark- 
ness of  morning  twilight.  If  any  mischief  was  done 
for  miles  round,  it  was  sure  to  be  attributed  to  Isaac 
Hopper.  There  was  no  malice  in  his  fun ;  but  he 
had  such  superabounding  life  within  him,  that  it 
would  overflow,  even  when  he  knew  that  he  must 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  9 

suffer  for  it.  His  boyish  activity,  strength,  and  agili- 
ty were  proverbial.  Long  after  he  left  his  native 
village,  the  neighbors  used  to  tell  with  what  aston- 
ishing rapidity  he  would  descend  high  trees,  head 
foremost,  clinging  to  the  trunk  with  his  feet. 

The  fearlessness  and  firmness  of  character,  which 
he  inherited  from  both  father  and  mother,  manifested 
itself  in  many  ways.  He  had  a  lamb,  whose  horns 
were  crooked,  and  had  a  tendency  to  turn  in.  His 
father  had  given  it  to  him  for  his  own,  on  condition 
that  he  should  keep  the  horns  carefully  filed,  so  that 
they  should  not  hurt  the  animal.  He  had  a  small 
file  on  purpose,  and  took  such  excellent  care  of  his 
pet,  that  it  soon  became  very  much  attached  to  him, 
and  trotted  about  after  him  like  a  dog.  When  he 
was  about  five  or  six  years  old,  British  soldiers  came 
into  the  neighborhood  to  seize  provisions  for  the  ar- 
my, according  to  their  custom  during  our  revolution- 
ary war.  They  tied  the  feet  of  the  tame  lamb,  and 
threw  it  into  the  cart  with  other  sheep  and  lambs. 
Isaac  came  up  to  them  in  season  to  witness  this  ope- 
ration, and  his  heart  swelled  with  indignation.  He 
sprang  into  the  cart,  exclaiming,  "That's  my  lamb, 
and  you  shan't  have  it !"  The  men  tried  to  push 
Lira  aside ;  but  he  pulled  out  a  rusty  jack-knife, 
which  he  had  bought  of  a  pedlar  for  two-pence,  and 
cut  the  rope  that  bound  the  poor  lamb.  A  British 

officer  rode  up,  and  seeing  a  little  boy  struggling  so 
1* 


10  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

resolutely  with  the  soldiers,  he  inquired  what  was 
the  matter.  "They've  stolen  my  lamb  !"  exclaimed 
Isaac ;  "  and  they  shan't  have  it.  It's  my  lamb !" 

" Is  it  your  lamb,  my  brave  little  fellow?"  said  the 
officer.  "Well,  they  shan't  have  it.  You'll  make 
a  fine  soldier  one  of  these  days." 

So  Isaac  lifted  his  lamb  from  the  cart,  and  trudg- 
ed off  victorious.  He  had  always  been  a  whig ;  and 
after  this  adventure,  he  became  more  decided  than 
ever  in  his  politics.  He  often  used  to  boast  that  he 
would  rather  have  a  paper  continental  dollar,  than  a 
golden  English  guinea.  The  family  amused  them- 
selves by  exciting  his  zeal,  and  Polly  made  him  be- 
lieve he  was  such  a  famous  whig,  that  the  British 
would  certainly  carry  him  off  to  prison.  He  gene- 
rally thought  he  was  fully  capable  of  defending  him- 
self ;  but  when  he  saw  four  soldiers  approaching  the 
house  one  day,  he  concluded  the  force  was  rather 
too  strong  for  him,  and  hastened  to  hide  himself  in 
the  woods. 

His  temper  partook  of  the  general  strength  and 
vehemence  of  his  character.  Having  put  a  small 
quantity  of  gunpowder  on  the  stove  of  the  school- 
house,  it  exploded,  and  did  some  injury  to  the  mas- 
ter. One  of  the  boys,  who  was  afraid  of  being  sus- 
pected of  the  mischief,  in  order  to  screen  himself, 
cried  out,  "Isaac  Hopper  did  it!" — and  Isaac  was 
punished  accordingly.  Going  home  from  school,  he 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  11 

seized  the  informer  as  they  were  passing  through  a 
wood,  tied  him  up  to  a  tree,  and  gave  him  a  tremen- 
dous thrashing.  The  boy  threatened  to  tell  of  it; 
but  he  assured  him  that  he  would  certainly  kill  him 
if  he  did ;  so  he  never  ventured  to  disclose  it. 
»  In  general,  his  conscience  reproved  him  as  soon  as 
he  had  done  anything  wrong,  and  he  hastened  to 
make  atonement.  A  poor  boy,  who  attended  the 
same  school,  usually  brought  a  very  scanty  dinner. 
One  day,  the  spirit  of  mischief  led  Isaac  to  spoil  the 
poor  child's  provisions  by  filling  his  little  pail  with 
sand.  When  the  boy  opened  it,  all  eagerness  to  eat 
his  dinner,  the  tears  came  into  his  eyes ;  for  he  was 
very  hungry.  This  touched  Isaac's  heart  instantly. 
" Oh,  never  mind,  Billy,"  said  he.  "I  did  it  for  fun ; 
but  I'm  sorry  I  did  it.  Come,  you  shall  have  half  of 
my  dinner."  It  proved  a  lucky  joke  for  Billy ;  for 
from  that  day  henceforth,  Isaac  always  helped  him 
plentifully  from  his  own  stock  of  provisions. 

Isaac  and  his  elder  brother  were  accustomed  to  set 
traps  in  the  woods  to  catch  partridges.  One  day, 
when  he  wras  about  six  years  old,  he  went  to  look 
at  the  traps  early  in  the  morning,  and  finding  his 
empty,  he  took  a  plump  partridge  from  his  brother's 
trap,  put  it  in  his  own,  and  carried  it  home  as  his. 
When  his  brother  examined  the  traps,  he  said  he 
was  sure  he  caught  the  bird,  because  there  were 
feathers  sticking  to  his  trap ;  but  Isaac  maintained 


12  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

that  there  were  feathers  sticking  to  his  also.  After 
he  went  to  bed,  his  conscience  scorched  him  for 
what  he  had  done.  As  soon  as  he  rose  in  the 
morning,  he  went  to  his  mother  and  said,  "What 
shall  I  do  ?  I  have  told  a  lie,  and  I  feel  dreadfully 
about  it.  That  was  Sam's  partridge.  I  said  I  took 
it  from  my  trap ;  and  so  I  did ;  but  I  put  it  in  there 
first." 

"My  son,  it  is  a  wicked  thing  to  tell  a  lie," 
replied  his  mother.  "You  must  go  to  Sam  and 
confess,  and  give  him  the  bird." 

Accordingly,  he  went  to  his  brother,  and  said, 
"Sam,  here's  your  partridge.  I  did  take  it  out  of 
my  trap ;  but  I  put  it  in  there  first."  His  brother 
gave  him  a  talking,  and  then  forgave  him. 

Being  a  very  bright,  manly  boy,  he  was  intrusted 
to  carry  grain  several  miles  to  mill,  when  he  was 
only  eight  years  old.  On  one  of  these  occasions, 
he  arrived  just  as  another  boy,  who  preceded  him, 
had  alighted  to  open  the  gate.  "Just  let  me  drive 
in  before  you  shut  it,"  said  Isaac,  "  and  then  I  shall 
have  no  need  to  get  down  from  my  wagon."  The 
boy  patiently  held  the  gate  for  him  to  pass  through ; 
but,  Isaac,  without  stopping  to  thank  him,  whipped 
up  his  horse,  arrived  at  the  mill  post  haste,  and 
claimed  the  right  to  be  first  served,  because  he  was 
the  first  comer.  When  the  other  boy  found  he  was 
compelled  to  wait,  he  looked  very  much  dissatisfied, 


I 

LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  13 

but  said  nothing.  Isaac  chuckled  over  his  victory 
at  first,  but  his  natural  sense  of  justice  soon  sug- 
gested better  thoughts.  He  asked  himself  whether 
he  had  done  right  thus  to  take  advantage  of  that 
obliging  boy  ?  The  longer  he  reflected  upon  it,  the 
more  uncomfortable  he  felt.  At  last,  he  went  up  to 
the  stranger  and  said  frankly,  "I  did  wrong  to  drive 
up  to  the  mill  so  fast,  and  get  my  corn  ground, 
when  you  were  the  one  who  arrived  first ;  especially 
as  you  were  so  obliging  as  to  hold  the  gate  open 
for  me  to  pass  through.  I  was  thinking  of  nothing 
but  fun  when  I  did  it.  Here's  sixpence  to  make  up 
for  it."  The  boy  was  well  pleased  with  the  amend 
thus  honorably  offered,  and  they  parted  right  good 
friends. 

At  nine  years  old,  he  began  to  drive  a  wagon  to 
Philadelphia,  to  sell  vegetables  and  other  articles 
from  his  father's  farm;  which  he  did  very  satis- 
factorily, with  the  assistance  of  a  neighbor,  who 
occupied  the  next  stall  in  the  market.  According  to 
the  fashion  of  the  times,  he  wore  a  broad-brimmed 
hat,  and  small-clothes  with  long  stockings.  Being 
something  of  a  dandy,  he  prided  himself  upon  having 
his  shoes  very  clean,  and  his  white  dimity  small 
clothes  without  spot  or  blemish.  He  caught  rabbits, 
and  sold  them,  till  he  obtained  money  enough 
to  purchase  brass  buckles  for  his  knees,  and  for 
the  straps  of  his  shoes.  The  first  time  he  made 


14  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

his  appearance  in  the  city  with  this  new  finery,  lie 
felt  his  ambition  concerning  personal  decoration  com- 
pletely satisfied.  The  neatness  of  his  dress,  and  his 
manly  way  of  proceeding,  attracted  attention,  and 
induced  his  customers  to  call  him  "THE  "LITTLE 
GOVERNOR."  For  several  years,  he  was  universal- 
ly known  in  the  market  by  that  title.  Fortunate- 
ly, his  father  had  no  wish  to  obtain  undue  advantage 
in  the  sale  of  his  produce ;  for  had  it  been  otherwise, 
his  straight-forward  little  son  would  have  proved  a 
poor  agent  in  transacting  his  affairs.  One  day, 
when  a  citizen  inquired  the  price  of  a  pair  of  chick- 
ens, he  answered,  with  the  utmost  simplicity,  "My 
father  told  me  to  sell  them  for  fifty  cents  if  I  could ; 
and  if  not,  to  take  forty." 

"Well  done,  my  honest  little  fellow!"  said  the 
gentleman,  smiling,  "I  will  give  you  whatever  is 
the  current  price.  I  shall  look  out  for  you  in  the 
market ;  and  whenever  I  see  you,  I  shall  always 
try  to  trade  with  you."  And  he  kept  his  word. 

When  quite  a  small  boy,  he  was  sent  some  dis- 
tance of  an  errand,  and  arrived  just  as  the  family 
were  about  to  sit  down  to  supper.  There  were 
several  pies  on  the  table,  and  they  invited  him  to 
partake.  The  long  walk  had  whetted  his  appe- 
tite, and  the  pies  looked  exceedingly  tempting ;  but 
the  shyness  of  childhood  led  him  to  say,  "  No,  I 
thank  you."  When  he  had  delivered  his  message, 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  15 

he  lingered,  and  lingered,  hoping  they  would  ask 
him  again.  But  the  family  were  Quakers,  and 
they  understood  yea  to  mean  yea,  and  nay  to  mean 
nay.  They  would  have  considered  it  a  mere  worldly 
compliment  to  repeat  the  invitation ;  so  they  were 
silent.  Isaac  started  for  home,  much  repenting  of 
his  bashfulness,  and  went  nearly  half  of  the  way 
revolving  the  subject  in  his  mind.  He  then  walked 
back  to  the  house,  marched  boldly  into  the  supper- 
room,  and  said,  "  I  told  a  lie  when  I  was  here.  I 
did  want  a  piece  of  pie ;  but  I  thought  to  be  sure 
you  would  ask  me  again."  This  explicit  avowal 
made  them  all  smile,  and  he  was  served  with  as 
much  pie  as  he  wished  to  eat. 

The  steadfastness  of  his  whig  principles  led  him 
to  take  a  lively  interest  in  anecdotes  concerning 
revolutionary  heroes.  His  mother  had  a  brother  in 
Philadelphia,  who  lived  in  a  house  formerly  occupied 
by  William  Penn,  at  the  corner  of  Second  Street  and 
Norris  Alley.  This  uncle  frequently  cut  and  made 
garments  for  General  Washington,  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin, and  other  distinguished  men.  Nothing  pleased 
Isaac  better  than  a  visit  to  this  city  relative ;  and 
when  there,  his  boyish  mind  was  much  occupied 
with  watching  for  the  famous  men,  of  whom  he  had 
heard  so  much  talk.  Once,  when  General  Wash- 
ington came  there  to  order  some  garments,  he  fol- 
lowed him  a  long  distance  from  the  shop.  The 


16  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

General  had  observed  his  wonder  and  veneration,  and 
was  amused  by  it.  Coming  to  a  corner  of  the  street,  he 
turned  round  suddenly,  touched  his  hat,  and  made  a 
very  low  bow.  This  playful  condescension  so  complete- 
ly confused  his  juvenile  admirer,  that  he  stood  blush- 
ing and  bewildered  for  an  instant,  then  walked  hastily 
away,  without  remembering  to  return  the  salutation. 
The  tenderness  of  spirit  often  manifested  by  him, 
was  very  remarkable  in  such  a  resolute  and  mis- 
chievous boy.  There  was  an  old  unoccupied 
barn  in  the  neighborhood,  a  favorite  resort  of  swal- 
lows in  the  Spring-time.  When  he  was  about  ten 
years  old,  he  invited  a  number  of  boys  to  meet  him 
the  next  Sunday  morning,  to  go  and  pelt  the  swal- 
lows. They  set  off  on  this  expedition  with  anticipa- 
tions of  a  fine  frolic ;  but  before  they  had  gone  far, 
Isaac  began  to  feel  a  strong  conviction  that  he  was 
doing  wrong.  He  told  his  companions  he  thought  it 
was  very  cruel  sport  to  torment  and  kill  poor  little 
innocent  birds  ;  especially  as  they  might  destroy 
mothers,  and  then  the  little  ones  would  be  left  to 
starve.  There  was  a  Quaker  meeting-house  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  distant,  and  he  proposed  that  they 
should  all  go  there,  and  leave  the  swallows  in  peace. 
But  the  boys  only  laughed  at  him,  and  ran  off  shout- 
ing, "  Come  on  !  Come  on !"  He  looked  after  them 
sorrowfully  for  some  minutes,  reproaching  himself 
for  the  suffering  he  had  caused  the  poor  birds.  He 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPEIl.  17 

then  walked  off  to  meeting  alone  ;  and  his  faithful- 
ness to  the  light  within  him  was  followed  by  a  sweet 
peacefulness  and  serenity  of  soul.  The  impression 
made  by  this  incident,  and  the  state  of  mind  he  en- 
joyed while  in  meeting,  wras  one  of  the  earliest  influ- 
ences that  drew  him  into  the  Society  of  Friends. — 
When  he  returned  home,  he  heard  that  one  of  the 
boys  had  broken  his  arm  while  stoning  the  swallows, 
and  had  been  writhing  with  pain,  while  he  had  been 
enjoying  the  consolations  of  an  approving  conscience. 

At  an  early  age,  he  was  noted  for  being  a  sure 
shot,  with  bow  and  arrow,  or  with  gun.  A  pair  of 
king-birds  built  in  his  father's  orchard,  and  it  was  de- 
sirable to  get  rid  of  them,  because  they  destroy  ho- 
ney-bees. Isaac  watched  for  an  opportunity,  and  one 
day  when  the  birds  flew  away  in  quest  of  food  for 
their  young,  he  transfixed  them  both  at  once  with  his 
arrow.  At  first,  he  was  much  delighted  with  this  ex- 
ploit ;  but  his  compassionate  heart  soon  became  trou- 
bled about  the  orphan  little  ones,  whom  he  pictured 
to  himself  as  anxiously  expecting  the  parents  that 
would  never  return  to  feed  them  again.  This  feeling 
gained  such  strength  within  him;  that  he  early  re- 
linquished the  practice  of  shooting,  though  he  found 
keen  excitement  in  the  pursuit,  and  was  not  a  little 
proud  of  his  skill. 

Once,  when  he  had  entrapped  a  pair  of  partridges, 
he  put  them  in  a  box,  intending  to  keep  them  there 


18  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

But  he  soon  began  to  query  with  himself  whether 
creatures  accustomed  to  fly  must  not  necessarily  be 
very  miserable  shut  up  in  such  a  limited  space.  He 
accordingly  opened  the  door.  One  of  the  partridges 
immediately  walked  out,  but  soon  returned  to  prison 
to  invite  his  less  ventursome  mate.  The  box  was 
removed  a  few  days  after,  but  the  birds  remained 
about  the  garden  for  months,  often  coming  to  the 
door-step  to  pick  up  crumbs  that  were  thrown  to 
them.  When  the  mating-season  returned  the  next 
year,  they  retired  to  the  woods. 

From  earliest  childhood  he  evinced  great  fondness 
for  animals,  and  watched  with  lively  interest  all  the 
little  creatures  of  the  woods  and  fields.  He  was  fa- 
miliar with  all  their  haunts,  and  they  gave  names  to 
the  localities  of  his  neighborhood.  There  was  Tur- 
key Causeway,  where  wild  turkies  abounded ;  and 
Rabbit  Swamp,  where  troops  of  timid  little  rabbits 
had  their  hiding  places  ;  and  Squirrel  Grove,  where 
many  squirrels  laid  in  their  harvest  of  acorns  for  the 
winter ;  and  Panther  Bridge,  where  his  grandfather 
had  killed  a  panther. 

Once,  when  his  father  and  the  workmen  had  been 
cutting  down  a  quantity  of  timber,  Isaac  discovered 
a  squirrel's  nest  in  a  hole  of  one  of  the  trees  that  had 
fallen.  It  contained  four  new-born  little  ones,  their 
eyes  not  yet  opened.  He  was  greatly  tempted  to 
carry  them  home,  but  they  were  so  young  that  they 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  19 

needed  their  mother's  milk.  So  after  examining 
them,  he  put  them  back  in  the  nest,  and  with  his 
usual  busy  helpfulness  went  to  assist  in  stripping 
bark  from  the  trees.  When  he  went  home  from  his 
work,  toward  evening,  he  felt  curious  to  see  how  the 
mother  squirrel  would  behave  when  she  returned  and 
found  her  home  was  gone.  He  accordingly  hid 
himself  in  a  bush  to  watch  her  proceedings.  About 
dusk,  she  came  running  along  the  stone  wall  with  a 
nut  in  her  mouth,  and  went  with  all  speed  to  the  old 
familiar  tree.  Finding  nothing  but  a  stump  remain- 
ing there,  she  dropped  the  nut  and  looked  around  in 
evident  dismay.  She  went  smelling  all  about  the 
ground,  then  mounted  the  stump  to  take  a  survey  of 
the  country.  She  raised  herself  on  her  hind  legs  and 
snuffed  the  air,  with  an  appearance  of  great  perplexi- 
ty and  distress.  She  ran  round  the  stump  several 
times,  occasionally  raising  herself  on  her  hind  legs, 
and  peering  about  in  every  direction,  to  discover 
what  had  become  of  her  young  family.  At  last,  she 
jumped  on  the  prostrate  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  ran 
along  till  she  came  to  the  hole  where  her  babies 
were  concealed.  What  the  manner  of  their  meeting 
was  nobody  can  tell;  but  doubtless'  the  mother's 
heart  beat  violently  when  she  discovered  her  lost 
treasures  all  safe  on  the  warm  little  bed  of  moss  she 
had  so  carefully  prepared  for  them.  After  staying  a 
few  minutes  to  give  them  their  supper,  she  came  out, 


20  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

and  scampered  off  through  the  bushes.  In  about  fif- 
teen minutes,  she  returned  and  took  one  of  the 
young  ones  in  her  mouth,  and  carried  it  quickly  to  a 
hole  in  another  tre^-'tbrfie'^if'fbur  hundred  yards  off, 
and  then  came  back  and  took  the  others,  one  by  one, 
till  she  had  conveyed  them  all  to  their  new  home. 
The  intelligent  instinct  manifested  by  this  little  quad- 
ruped excited  great  interest  in  Isaac's  observing  mind. 
When  he  drove  the  co\vs  to  pasture,  he  always  went 
by  that  tree,  to  see  how  the  young  family  were  get- 
ting along.  In  a  short  time,  they  were  running  all 
over  the  tree  with  their  careful  mother,  eating  acorns 
under  the  shady  boughs,  entirely  unconscious  of  the 
perils 'through  which  they  had  passed  in  infancy. 

Some  time  after,  Isaac  traded  with  another  boy 
for  a  squirrel  taken  from  the  nest  before  its  eyes 
were  open.  He  made  a  bed  of  moss  for  it,  and  fed  it 
very  tenderly.  At  first,  he  was  afraid  it  would  not 
live ;  but  it  seemed  healthy,  though  it  never  grew 
so  large  as  other  squirrels.  He  did  not  put  it  in  a 
cage  ;  for  he  said  to  himself  that  a  creature  made  to 
frisk  about  in  the  green  woods  could  not  be  happy 
shut  up  in  a  box.  This  pretty  little  animal  became 
so  much  attached  to  her  kind-hearted  protector,  that 
she  would  run  about  after  him,  and  come  like  a  kit- 
ten whenever  he  called  her.  While  he  was  gone  to 
school,  she  frequently  ran  off  to  the  woods  and  play- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  21 

ed  with  wild  squirrels  on  a  tree  that  grew  near  his 
path  homeward.  Sometimes  she  took  a  nap  in  a 
large  knot-hole,  or,  if  the  weather  was  very  warm, 
made  a  cool  bed  of  leaves  across  a  crotch  of  the 
boughs,  and  slept  there.  When  Isaac  passed  under 
the  tree,  on  his  way  from  school,  he  used  to  call 
"Bun!  Bun!  Bun!"  If  she  was  there,  she  would 
come  to  him  immediately,  run  up  on  his  shoulder 
and  so  ride  home  to  get  her  supper. 

It  seemed  as  if  animals  were  in  some  way  aware 
of  his  kindly  feelings,  and  disposed  to  return  his  con- 
fidence ;  for  on  several  occasions  they  formed  singu 
lar  intimacies  with  him.  When  he  was  six  or  seven 
years  old,  he  spied  a  crow's  nest  in  a  high  tree,  and, 
according  to  his  usual  custom,  he  climbed  up  to  make 
discoveries.  He  found  that  it  contained  two  eggs, 
and  he  watched  the  crow's  movements  until  her 
young  ones  were  hatched  and  ready  to  fly.  Then 
he  took  them  home.  One  was  accidentally  killed  a 
few  days  after,  but  he  reared  the  other,  and  named 
it  Cupid.  The  bird  became  so  very  tame,  that  it 
would  feed  from  his  hand,  perch  on  his  shoulder,  or 
his  hat,  and  go  everywhere  with  him.  It  frequently 
followed  him  for  miles,  when  he  went  to  mill  or  mar- 
ket. He  was  never  put  into  a  cage,  but  flew  in  and 
out  of  the  house,  just  as  he  pleased.  If  Isaac  called 
"  Cu  !  Cu  !"  he  would  hear  him,  even  if  he  were  up 
in  the  highest  tree,  would  croak  a  friendly  answer 


22  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

and  come  down  directly.  If  Isaac  winked  one  eye, 
the  crow  would  do  the  same.  If  he  winked  his 
other  eye,  the  crow  also  winked  with  his  other  eye. 
Once  when  Cupid  was  on  his  shoulder,  he  pointed  to 
a  snake  lying  in  the  road,  and  said  "Cu!  CuJ" — 
The  sagacious  bird  pounced  on  the  head  of  the 
snake  and  killed  him  instantly ;  then  flew  back  to 
his  friend's  shoulder,  cawing  with  all  his  might,  as  if 
delighted  with  his  exploit.  If  a  stranger  tried  to 
take  him,  he  would  fly  away,  screaming  with  terror. 
Sometimes  Isaac  covered  him  with  a  handkerchief 
and  placed  him  on  a  stranger's  shoulder ;  but  as  soon 
as  he  discovered  where  he  was,  he  seemed  frighten- 
ed almost  to  death.  He  usually  chose  to  sleep  on 
the  roof  of  a  shed,  directly  under  Isaac's  bed-room 
window.  One  night  he  heard  him  cawing  very  loud, 
and  the  next  morning  he  said  to  his  father,  "  I  heard 
Cupid  talking  in  his  sleep  last  night."  His  father 
inquired  whether  he  had  seen  him  since  ;  and  when 
Isaac  answered,  "No,"  he  said,  "Then  I  am  afraid 
the  owls  have  taken  him."  The  poor  bird  did  not 
make  his  appearance  again ;  and  a  few  days  after, 
his  bones  and  feathers  were  found  on  a  stump,  not 
far  from  the  house.  This  was  a  great  sorrow  for 
Isaac.  It  tried  his  young  heart  almost  like  the  loss 
of  a  brother. 

His  intimacy  with  animals  was  of  a  very  pleasant 
nature,  except  on  one  occasion,  when  he  thrust  his 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  23 

arm  into  a  hollow  tree,  in  search  of  squirrels,  and 
pulled  out  a  large  black  snake.  He  was  so  ter- 
rified, that  he  tumbled  headlong  from  the  tree,  and 
it  was  difficult  to  tell  which  ran  away  fastest,  he  or 
the  snake.  This  incident  inspired  the  bold  boy  with 
fear,  which  he  vainly  tried  to  overcome  during  the 
lemainder  of  his  life.  There  was  a  thicket  of  under- 
brush between  his  father's  farm  and  the  village  of 
Woodbury.  Once,  when  he  was  sent  of  an  errand 
to  the  village,  he  was  seized  with  such  a  dread  of 
snakes,  that  before  entering  among  the  bushes,  he 
placed  his  basket  on  an  old  rail,  knelt  down  and 
prayed  earnestly  that  he  might  pass  through  without 
encountering  a  snake.  When  he  rose  up  and  at- 
tempted to  take  his  basket,  he  perceived  a  large 
black  snake  lying  close  beside  the  rail.  It  may  well 
be  believed  that  he  went  through  the  thicket  too 
fast  to  allow  any  grass  to  grow  under  his  feet. 

When  he  drove  the  cows  to  and  from  pasture,  he 
often  met  an  old  colored  man  named  Mingo.  His 
sympathising  heart  was  attracted  toward  him,  be- 
cause he  had  heard  the  neighbors  say  he  was  stolen 
from  Africa  when  he  was  a  little  boy.  One  day,  he 
asked  Mingo  what  part  of  the  world  he  came  from; 
and  the  poor  old  man  told  how  he  was  playing  with 
other  children  among  the  bushes,  on  the  coast  of 
Africa,  when  white  men  pounced  upon  them  suddenly 
and  dragged  them  off  to  a  ship.  He  held  fast  hold 


24  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

of  the  thorny  bushes,  which  tore  his  hands  dreadfully 
in  the  struggle.  The  old  man  wept  like  a  child, 
when  he  told  how  he  was  frightened  and  distressed 
at  being  thus  hurried  away  from  father,  mother, 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  sold  into  slavery,  in  a 
distant  land,  where  he  could  never  see  or  hear  from 
them  again.  This  painful  story  made  a  very  deep 
impression  upon  Isaac's  mind ;  and,  though  he  was 
then  only  nine  years  old,  he  made  a  solemn  vow  to 
himself  that  he  would  be  the  friend  of  oppressed 
Africans  during  his  whole  life. 

He  was  as  precocious  in  love,  as  in  other  matters. 
Not  far  from  his  home,  lived  a  prosperous  and  highly 
respectable  Quaker  family,  named  Tatum.  There 
were  several  sons,  but  only  one  daughter;  a  hand- 
some child,  with  clear,  fair  complexion,  blue  eyes, 
and  a  profusion  of  brown  curly  hair.  She  was  Isaac's 
cousin,  twice  removed ;  for  their  great-grandfathers 
were  half-brothers.  When  he  was  only  eight  years  old, 
and  she  was  not  yet  five,  he  made  up  his  mind  that 
little  Sarah  Tatum  was  his  wife.  He  used  .to  walk  a 
mile  and  a  half  every  day,  on  purpose  to  escort  her  to 
school.  When  they  rambled  through  the  woods,  in 
search  of  berries,  it  was  his  delight  to  sit  beside  her 
on  some  old  stump,  and  twist  her  glossy  brown 
ringlets  over  his  fingers.  A  lovely  picture  they  must 
have  made  in  the  green,  leafy  frame-work  of  the 
woods — that  fair,  blue-eyed  girl,  and  the  handsome, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  25 

vigorous  boy  !  When  he  was  fourteen  years  old,  he 
wrote  to  her  his  first  love-letter.  The  village  school- 
master taught  for  very  low  wages,  and  was  not  re- 
markably well-qualified  for  his  task ;  as  was  gene- 
rally the  case  at  that  early  period.  Isaac's  labor 
was  needed  on  the  farm  all  the  summer ;  conse- 
quently, he  was  able  to  attend  school  only  three 
months  during  the  winter.  He  was,  therefore,  so 
little  acquainted  with  the  forms  of  letter-writing, 
that  he  put  Sarah's  name  inside  the  letter,  and  his 
own  on  the  outside.  She,  being  an  only  daughter, 
and  a  great  pet  in  her  family,  had  better  opportuni- 
ties for  education'.  She  told  her  young  lover  that 
was  not  the  correct  way  to  write  a  letter,  and  in- 
structed him  how  to  proceed  in  future.  From  that 
time,  they  corresponded  constantly. 

Isaac  likewise  formed  a  very  strong  friendship 
with  his  cousin  Joseph  Whitall,  who  was  his  school- 
mate, and  about  his  own  age.  They  shared  together 
all  their  joys  and  troubles,  and  were  companions  in 
all  boyish  enterprises.  Thus  was  a  happy  though 
laborious  childhood  passed  in  the  seclusion  of  the 
woods,  in  the  midst  of  home  influences  and  rustic 
occupations.  His  parents  had  no  leisure  to  bestow 
01  intellectual  culture ;  for  they  had  a  numerous 
family  of  children,  and  it  required  about  all  their 
time  to  feed  and  clothe  them  respectably.  But  they 
were  worthy,  kind-hearted  people,  whose  moral  pre- 


26  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

cepts  were  sustained  by  their  upright  example.  His 
father  was  a  quiet  man,  but  exceedingly  firm  and 
energetic.  When  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  do  a 
thing,  no  earthly  power  could  turn  him  from  his 
purpose ;  especially  if  any  question  of  conscience 
were  involved  therein.  During  the  revolutionary 
war,  he  faithfully  maintained  his  testimony  against 
the  shedding  of  blood,  and  suffered  considerably  for 
refusing  to  pay  military  taxes.  Isaac's  mother  was 
noted  for  her  fearless  character,  and  blunt  directness 
of  speech.  She  was  educated  in  the  Presbyterian 
faith,  and  this  was  a  source  of  some  discordant  feel- 
ing between  her  and  her  husband:  The  preaching 
of  her  favorite  ministers  seemed  to  him  harsh  and 
rigid,  while  she  regarded  Quaker  exhortations  as 
insipid  and  formal.  But  as  time  passed  on,  her 
religious  views  assimilated  more  and  more  with  his ; 
and  about  twenty-four  years  after  their  marriage,  she 
joined  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  frequently  spoke 
at  their  meetings.  She  was  a  spiritual  minded  wo- 
man, always  ready  to  sympathise  with  the  afflicted, 
and  peculiarly  kind  to  animals.  They  were  both  ex- 
tremely hospitable  and  benevolent  to  the  poor.  On 
Sunday  evenings,  they  convened  all  the  family  to 
listen  to  the  Scriptures  and  other  religious  books. — 
In  his  journal  Isaac  alludes  to  this  custom,  and  says : 
"  My  mind  was  often  solemnized  by  these  opportuni- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  27 

ties,  and  I  resolved  to  live  more  consistently  with  the 
principles  of  Christian  sobriety." 

When  he  was  sixteen  years  old,  it  became  a  ques- 
tion to  what  business  he  should  devote  himself. — 
There  was  a  prospect  of  obtaining  a  situation  for  him 
in  a  store  at  Philadelphia ;  and  for  that  purpose  it 
was  deemed  expedient  that  he  should  take  up  his 
abode  for  a  while  with  his  maternal  uncle,  whose 
house  he  had  been  so  fond  of  visiting  in  early  boy- 
hood. He  did  not  succeed  in  obtaining  the  situation 
he  expected,  but  remained  in  the  city  on  the  look-out 
for  some  suitable  employment.  Meanwhile,  he  was 
very  helpful  to  his  uncle,  who,  rinding  him  diligent 
and  skillful,  tried  to  induce  him  to  learn  his  trade. — 
It  was  an  occupation  ill-adapted  to  his  vigorous  body 
and  active  mind;  but  he  was  not  of  a  temperament 
to  fold  his  hands  and  wait  till  something  "  turned 
up  ;"  and  as  his  uncle  was  doing  a  prosperous-  busi- 
ness, he  concluded  to  accept  his  proposition.  About 
the  same  time,  his  beloved  cousin,  Joseph  Whitall, 
was  sent  to  Trenton  to  study  law.  This  was  rather 
a  severe  trial  to  Isaac's  feelings.  Not  that  he  envied 
his  superior  advantages  ;  but  he  had  sad  forebodings 
that  separation  would  interrupt  their  friendship,  and 
that  such  a  different  career  wrould  be  very  likely  to 
prevent  its  renewal.  They  parted  with  mutual  re- 
gret, and  did  not  meet  again  for  several  years. 

When  Isaac  bade  adieu  to  the  paternal  roof,  his 


28  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

mother  looked  after  him  thoughtfully,  and  remarked 
to  one  of  his  sisters,  "  Isaac  is  no  common  boy. — 
He  will  do  something  great,  either  for  good  or  evil." 
She  called  him  back  and  said,  "My  son,  you  are 
now  going  forth  to  make  your  own  way  in  the  world. 
Always  remember  that  you  are  as  good  as  any  other 
person ;  but  remember  also  that  you  are  no  better." 
With  this  farewell  injunction,  he  departed  for  Phila- 
delphia, where  he  soon  acquired  the  character  of  a 
faithful  and  industrious  apprentice. 

But  his  boyish  love  of  fun  was  still  strong  within 
him,  and  he  was  the  torment  of  all  his  fellow  ap- 
prentices. One  of  them,  named  William  Roberts, 
proposed  that  they  should  go  together  into  the  cellar 
to  steal  a  pitcher  of  cider.  Isaac  pulled  the  spile, 
and  while  William  was  drawing  the  liquor,  he  took 
an  unobserved  opportunity  to  hide  it.  When  the 
pitcher  was  full,  he  pretended  to  look  all  around  for 
it,  without  being  able  to  find  it.  At  last,  he  told  his 
unsuspecting  comrade  that  he  must  thrust  his  finger 
into  the  hole  and  keep  it  there,  while  he  went  to  get 
another  spile.  William  waited  and  waited  for  him 
to  return,  but  when  an  hour  or  more  had  elapsed,  his 
patience  was  exhausted,  and  he  began  to  Halloo  ! — 
The  noise,  instead  of  bringing  Isaac  to  his  assist- 
ance, brought  the  mistress  of  the  house,  who  caught 
the  culprit  at  the  cider-barrel,  and  gave  him  a  severe 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  29 

scolding,  to  the  infinite  gratification  of  his  mischiev- 
ous companion. 

Once,  when  the  family  were  all  going  away,  his 
uncle  left  the  house  in  charge  of  him  and  another  ap- 
prentice, telling  them  to  defend  themselves  if  any 
robbers  came.  Having  a  mind  to  try  the  courage  of 
the  lads,  he  returned  soon  after,  and  attempted  to 
force  a  window  in  the  back  part  of  the  house,  which 
opened  upon  a  narrow  alley  inclosed  by  a  high  fence. 
As  soon  as  Isaac  heard  the  noise,  he  seized  an  old 
harpoon  that  was  about  the  premises,  and  told  his 
companion  to  open  the  window  the  instant  he  gave 
the  signal.  His  orders  were  obeyed,  and  he  flung 
the  harpoon  with  such  force,  that  it  passed  through 
his  uncle's  vest  and  coat,  and  nailed  him  tight  to  the 
fence.  When  he  told  the  story,  he  used  to  say  he 
never  afterward  deemed  it  necessary  to  advise  Isaac 
to  defend  himself. 

Among  the  apprentices  was  one  much  older  and 
stouter  than  the  others.  He  was  very  proud  of  his 
physical  strength,  and  delighted  to  play  the  tyrant 
over  those  who  were  younger  and  weaker  than  him- 
self. When  Isaac  saw  him  knocking  them  about, 
he  felt  an  almost  irresistible  temptation  to  fight ;  but 
his  uncle  was  a  severe  man,  likely  to  be  much  in- 
censed by  quarrels  among  his  apprentices.  He 
knew,  moreover,  that  a  battle  between  him  and  Sam- 
son would  be  very  unequal ;  so  he  restrained  his  in- 


30  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

dignation  as  well  as  he  could.  But  one  day,  when 
the  big  bully  knocked  him  down,  without  the  slight- 
est provocation,  he  exclaimed,  in  great  wrath,  "If 
you  ever  do  that  again,  I'll  kill  you.  Mind  what  I 
say.  I  tell  you  I'll  kill  you." 

Samson  snapped  his  fingers  and  laughed,  and  the 
next  day  he  knocked  him  down  again.  Isaac  armed 
himself  with  a  heavy  window-bar,  and  when  the  ap- 
prentices were  summoned  to  breakfast,  he  laid  wait 
behind  a  door,  and  levelled  a  blow  at  the  tyrant,  as 
he  passed  through.  He  fell,  without  uttering  a  sin- 
gle cry.  When  the  family  sat  downi  to  breakfast, 
Mr.  Tatem  said,  "  Where  is  Samson  ?" 

His  nephew  coolly  replied,  "I've  killed  him." 

"Killed  him!"  exclaimed  the  uncle.  "What  do 
you  mean?" 

"I  told  him  I  would  kill  him  if  he  ever  knocked 
me  down  again,"  rejoined  Isaac ;  "  and  I  have  killed 
him." 

They  rushed  out  in  the  utmost  consternation,  and 
found  the  young  man  entirely  senseless.  A  physi- 
cian was  summoned,  and  for  some  time  they  feared 
he  was  really  dead.  The  means  employed  to  restore 
him  were  at  last  successful ;  but  it  was  long  before 
he  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  blow.  When 
Isaac  saw  him  so  pale  and  helpless,  a  terrible  re- 
morse filled  his  soul.  He  shuddered  to  think  how 
nearly  he  had  committed  murder,  in  one  rash  moment 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  31 

ot  unbridled  rage.  This  awful  incident  made  such  a 
solemn  and  deep  impression  on  him,  that  from  that 
time  he  began  to  make  strong  and  earnest  efforts  to 
control  the  natural  impetuosity  of  his  temper ;  and 
he  finally  attained  to  a  remarkable  degree  of  self- 
control.  Weary  hours  of  debility  brought  wiser 
thoughts  to  Samson  also  ;  and  when  he  recovered 
his  strength,  he  never  again  misused  it  by  abusing 
his  companions. 

In  those  days,  Isaac  did  not  profess  to  be  a  Qua- 
ker. He  used  the  customary  language  of  the  world, 
and  liked  to  display  his  well-proportioned  figure  in 
neat  and  fashionable  clothing.  The  young  women 
of  his  acquaintance,  it  is  said,  looked  upon  him  with 
rather  favorable  eyes ;  but  hjs  thoughts  never  wan- 
dered from  Sarah  Tatum  for  a  single  day.  Once, 
when  he  had  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  and  stylish  boots, 
the  tops  turned  down  with  red,  a  young  man  of  his 
acquaintance  invited  him  to  go  home  with  him  on 
Saturday  evening  and  spend  Sunday.  He  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  set  out  well  pleased  with  the  ex- 
pedition. The  young  man  had  a  sister,  who  took  it 
into  her  head  that  the  visit  was  intended  as  an  espe- 
cial compliment  to  herself.  The  brother  was  called 
out  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood,  and  as  soon  as 
she  found  herself  alone  with  their  guest,  she  began 
to  specify,  in  rather  significant  terms,  what  she 
should  require  of  a  man  who  wished  to  marry  her. — 


32  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Her  remarks  made  Isaac  rather  fidgetty ;  but  he  re- 
plied, in  general  terms,  that  he  thought  her  ideas  on 
the  subject  were  very  correct.  "I  suppose  you 
think  my  father  will  give  me  considerable  money," 
said  she ;  "but  that  is  a  mistake.  Whoever  takes 
me  must  take  me  for  myself  alone." 

The  young  man  tried  to  stammer  out  that  he  did 
not  come  on  any  such  errand ;  but  his  wits  were  be- 
wildered by  this  unexpected  siege,  and  he  could  not 
frame  a  suitable  reply.  She  mistook  his  confusion 
for  the  natural  timidity  of  love,  and  went  on  to  ex- 
press the  high  opinion  she  entertained  of  him.  Isaac 
looked  wistfully  at  the  door,  in  hopes  her  brother 
would  come  to  his  rescue.  But  no  relief  came  from 
that  quarter,  and  fearing  he  should  find  himself  en- 
gaged to  be  married  without  his  own  consent,  he 
caught  up  his  hat  and  rushed  out.  It  was  raining 
fast,  but  he  splashed  through  mud  and  water,  with- 
out stopping  to  choose  his  steps.  Crossing  the  yard 
in  this  desperate  haste,  he  encountered  the  brother, 
who  called  out,  "  Where  are  you  going?" 

"I'm  going  home,"  he  replied. 

"  Going  home  !"  exclaimed  his  astonished  friend, 
"Why  it  is  raining  hard;  and  you  came  to  stay  all 
night.  Wrhat  does  possess  you,  Isaac  ?  Come  back ! 
Come  back,  I  say  !" 

"  I  won't  come  back  !"  shouted  Isaac,  from  the  dis- 
tance. "I'm  going  home."  And  home  he  went. — 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  33 

His  new  clothes  were  well  spattered,  and  his  red-top 
boots  loaded  with  mud ;  but  though  he  prided  him- 
self on  keeping  his  apparel  in  neat  condition,  he 
thought  he  had  got  off  cheaply  on  this  occasion. 

Soon  after  he  went  to  reside  in  Philadelphia,  a  sea 
captain  by  the  name  of  Cox  came  to  his  uncle's  on  a 
visit.  As  the  captain  was  one  day  passing  through 
Norris  Alley,  he  met  a  young  colored  man,  named 
Joe,  whose  master  he  had  known  in  Bermuda.  He 
at  once  accused  him  of  being  a  runaway  slave,  and 
ordered  him  to  go  to  the  house  with  him.  Joe  called 
him  his  old  friend,  and  seemed  much  pleased  at  the 
meeting.  He  said  he  had  been  sent  from  Bermuda 
to  New- York  in  a  vessel,  which  he  named ;  he  had 
obtained  permission  to  go  a  few  miles  into  the  coun- 
try, to  see  his  sister,  and  while  he  was  gone,  the  ves- 
sel unfortunately  sailed ;  he  called  upon  the  con- 
signee and  asked  what  he  had  better  do  under  the 
circumstances,  and  he  told  him  that  his  captain  had 
left  directions  for  him  to  go  to  Philadelphia  and  take 
passage  home  by  the  first  vessel.  Captain  Cox  was 
entirely  satisfied  with  this  account.  He  said  there 
was  a  vessel  then  in  port,  which  would  sail  for  Ber- 
muda in  a  few  days,  and  told  Joe  he  had  better  go 
and  stay  with  him  at  Mr.  Tatem's  house,  while  he 
made  inquiries  about  it. 

When  Isaac  entered  the  kitchen  that  evening,  he 
found  Joe  sitting  there,  in  a  very  disconsolate  atti- 


34  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

tude ;  and  watching  him  closely  he  observed  tears 
now  and  then  trickling  down  his  dark  cheeks.  He 
thought  of  poor  old  Mingo,  whose  pitiful  story  had 
so  much  interested  him  in  boyhood,  and  caused  him 
to  form  a  resolution  to  be  the  friend  of  Africans. — 
The  more  he  pondered  on  the  subject,  the  more  he 
doubted  whether  Joe  was  so  much  pleased  to  meet 
his  "  old  friend,"  as  he  had  pretended  to  be.  He  took 
him  aside  and  said,  "Tell  me  truly  how  the  case 
stands  with  you.  I  will  be  your  friend  ;  and  come 
what  will,  you  may  feel  certain  that  I  will  never  be- 
tray you."  Joe  gave  him  an  earnest  look  of  distress 
and  scrutiny,  which  his  young  benefactor  never  for- 
got. Again  he  assured  him,  most  solemnly,  that  he 
might  trust  him.  Then  Joe  ventured  to  acknowl- 
edge that  he  was  a  fugitive  slave,  and  had  great 
dread  of  being  returned  into  bondage.  He  said  his 
master  let  him  out  to  work  on  board  a  ship  going  to 
New- York.  He  had  a  great  desire  for  freedom,  and 
when  the  vessel  arrived  at  its  destined  port,  he  made 
his  escape,  and  travelled  to  Philadelphia,  in  hopes  of 
finding  some  one  willing  to  protect  him.  Unluckily, 
the  very  day  he  entered  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love 
he  met  his  old  acquaintance  Captain  Cox ;  and  on 
the  spur  of  the  moment  he  had  invented  the  best  sto- 
ry he  could. 

Isaac  was  then  a  mere  lad,  and  he  had  been   in 
Philadelphia  too  short  a  time  to  form  many  acquain- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  35 

tances ;  but  he  imagined  what  his  own  feelings  would 
be  if  he  were  in  poor  Joe's  situation,  and  he  deter- 
mined to  contrive  some  way  or  other  to  assist  him. 
He  consulted  with  a  prudent  and  benevolent  neigh- 
bor, who  told  him  that  a  Quaker  by  the  name  oi 
John  Stapler,  in  Buck's  County,  was  a  good  friend 
to  colored  people,  and  the  fugitive  had  better  be  sent 
to  him.  Accordingly,  a  letter  was  written  to  Friend 
Stapler,  and  given  to  Joe,  with  instructions  how  to 
proceed.  Meanwhile,  Captain  Cox  brought  tidings 
that  he  had  secured  a  passage  to  Bermuda.  Joe 
thanked  him,  and  went  on  board  the  vessel,  as  he 
was  ordered.  But  a  day  or  two  after,  he  obtained 
permission  to  go  to  Mr.  Tatem's  house  to  procure 
some  clothes  he  had  left  there.  It  was  nearly  sunset 
when  he  left  the  ship  and  started  on  the  route,  which 
Isaac  had  very  distinctly  explained  to  him.  When 
the  sun  disappeared,  the  bright  moon  came  forth. — 
By  her  friendly  light,  he  travelled  on  with  a  hopeful 
heart  until  the  dawn  of  day,  when  he  arrived  at 
Friend  Stapler's  house  and  delivered  the  letter.  He 
was  received  with  great  kindness,  and  a  situation 
was  procured  for  him  in  the  neighborhood,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  comfortably,  with 
"  none  to  molest  or  make  him  afraid." 

This  was  the  first  opportunity  Isaac  had  of  carry- 
ing into  effect  his  early  resolution  to  befriend  the  op- 
pressed Africans. 


36  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

While  the  experiences  of  life  were  thus  deepening 
and  strengthening  his  character,  the  fair  child, 
Sarah  Tatum,  was  emerging  into  womanhood.  She 
was  a  great  belle  in  her  neighborhood,  admired  by 
the  young  men  for  her  comely  person,  and  by  the  old 
for  her  good  sense  and  discreet  manners.  He  had 
many  competitors  for  her  favor.  Once,  when  he 
went  to  invite  her  to  ride  to  Quarterly  Meeting,  he 
found  three  Quaker  beaux  already  there,  with  horses 
and  sleighs  for  the  same  purpose.  But  though  some 
of  her  admirers  abounded  in  worldly  goods,  her  mind 
never  swerved  from  the  love  of  her  childhood.  The 
bright  affectionate  school-boy,  who  delighted  to  sit 
with  her  under  the  shady  trees,  and  twist  her  shin- 
ing curls  over  his  fingers,  retained  his  hold  upon  her 
heart  as  long  as  its  pulses  throbbed. 

Her  father  at  first  felt  some  uneasiness,  lest  his 
daughter  should  marry  out  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 
But  Isaac  had  been  for  some  time  seriously  impressed 
with  the  principles  they  professed,  and  when  he  as- 
sured the  good  old  gentleman  that  he  would  never  take 
Sarah  out  of  the  Society,  of  which  she  was  born  a 
member,  he  was  perfectly  satisfied  to  receive  him  as 
a  son-in-law. 

At  that  period,  there  were  several  remarkable  in- 
dividuals among  Quaker  preachers  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  and  their  meetings  were  unusually  lively 
and  spirit-stirring.  One  of  them,  named  Nicholas 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  37 

Wain,  was  educated  in  the  Society  of  Friends,  but 
in  early  life  seems  to  have  cared  little  about  their 
principles.  He  was  then  an  ambitious,  money -loving 
man,  remarkably  successful  in  worldly  affairs.  But 
the  principles  inculcated  in  childhood  probably  re- 
mained latent  within  him  ;  for  when  he  was  rapidly 
acquiring  wealth  and  distinction  by  the  practice  of 
law,  he  suddenly  relinquished  it,  from  conscientious 
motives.  This  change  of  feeling  is  said  to  have  been 
owing  to  the  following  incident.  He  had  charge  of 
an  important  case,  where  a  large  amount  of  property 
was  at  stake.  In  the  progress  of  the  cause,  he  be- 
came more  and  more  aware  that  right  was  not  on 
the  side  of  his  client ;  but  to  desert  him  in  the  midst 
was  incompatible  with  his  ideas  of  honor  as  a  law- 
yer. This  produced  a  conflict  within  him,  which  he 
could  not  immediately  settle  to  his  own  satisfaction. 
A  friend,  who  met  him  after  the  case  was  decided, 
inquired  what  was  the  result.  He  replied,  "  I  did 
the  best  I  could  for  my  client.  I  have  gained  the 
cause  for  him,  and  have  thereby  defrauded  an  honest 
man  of  his  just  dues."  He  seemed  sad  and  thought- 
ful, and  would  never  after  plead  a  cause  at  the  bar. 
He  dismissed  his  students,  and  returned  to  his  clients 
all  the  money  he  had  received  for  unfinished  cases. 
For  some  time  afterward,  he  appeared  to  take  no  in- 
terest in  anything  but  his  own  religious  state  of  feel- 
ing. He  eventually  became  a  preacher,  very  popu- 


38  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

lar  among  Friends,  and  much  admired  by  others. — 
His  sermons  were  usually  short,  and  very  impressive. 
A  cotemporary  thus  describes  the  effect  of  his  preach- 
ing: "  The  whole  assembly  seemed  to  be  baptized 
together,  and  so  covered  with  solemnity,  that  when 
the  meeting  broke  up,  no  one  wished  to  enter  into 
conversation  with  another."  He  was  particularly 
zealous  against  a  paid  ministry,  and  not  unfrequently 
quoted  the  text,  "Put  me  in  the  priest's  office,  I 
pray  thee,  that  I  may  eat  a  piece  of  bread."  One  of 
his  most  memorable  discourses  began  with  these 
wrords  :  "  The  lawyers,  the  priests,  and  the  doctors, 
these  are  the  deceivers  of  men."  He  was  so  highly 
esteemed,  that  when  he  entered  the  court-house,  as 
he  occasionally  did,  to  aid  the  poor  or  the  oppressed 
in  some  way,  it  was  not  uncommon  for  judges  and 
lawyers  to  rise  spontaneously  in  token  of  respect. — 
Isaac  had  great  veneration  for  his  character,  and  was 
much  edified  by  his  ministry. 

Mary  Ridgeway,  a  small,  plain,  uneducated  wo- 
man, was  likewise  remarkably  persuasive  and  pene- 
trating in  her  style  of  preaching,  which  appeared  to 
Isaac  like  pure  inspiration.  Her  exhortations  took 
deep  hold  of  his  youthful  feelings,  and  strongly 
influenced  him  to  a  religious  life. 

But  more  powerful  than  all  other  agencies  was  the 
preaching  of  William  Savery.  He  was  a  tanner  by 
trade  ;  remarked  by  all  who  knew  him  as  a  man  who 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  39 

"walked  humbly  with  his  God."  One  night,  a  quan- 
tity of  hides  were  stolen  from  his  tannery,  and  he 
had  reason  to  believe  that  the  thief  was  a  quarrel- 
some, drunken  neighbor,  whom  I  will  call  John 
Smith.  The  next  week,  the  following  advertisement 
appeared  in  the  County  newspaper  :  "Whoever  stole 
a  lot  of  hides  on  the  fifth  of  the  present  month,  is 
hereby  informed  that  the  owner  has  a  sincere  wish 
to  be  his  friend.  If  poverty  tempted  him  to  this 
false  step,  the  owner  will  keep  the  whole  transaction 
secret,  and  will  gladly  put  him  in  the  way  of  obtain- 
ing money  by  means  more  likely  to  bring  him  peace 
of  mind."  This  singular  advertisement  attracted 
considerable  attention  ;  but  the  culprit  alone  knew 
whence  the  benevolent  offer  came.  When  -he  read 
it,  his  heart  melted  within  him,  and  he  was  filled 
with  contrition  for  what  he  had  done.  A  few  nights 
afterward,  as  the  tanner's  family  were  about  retiring 
to  rest,  they  heard  a  timid  knock,  and  when  the  door 
was  opened,  there  stood  John  Smith  with  a  load  of 
hides  on  his  shoulder.  Without  looking  up,  he  said, 
"  I  have  brought  these  back,  Mr.  Savery.  Where 
shall  I  put  them?"  "Wait  till  I  can  light  a  lantern, 
and  I  will  go  to  the  barn  with  thee,"  he  replied. — 
"Then  perhaps  thou  wilt  come  in  and  tell  me  how 
this  happened.  We  will  see  what  can  be  done  for 
thee."  As  soon  as  they  were  gone  out,  his  wife  pre- 
pared some  hot  coffee,  and  placed  pies  and  meat  on 


40  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

the  table.  When  they  returned  from  the  barn,  she 
said  "Neighbor  Smith,  I  thought  some  hot  supper 
would  be  good  for  thee."  He  turned  his  back  to- 
ward her  and  did  not  speak.  After  leaning  against 
the  fire-place  in  silence  for  a  moment,  he  said,  in  a 
choked  voice,  "It  is  the  first  time  I  ever  stole  any- 
thing, and  I  have  felt  very  bad  about  it.  I  don't 
know  how  it  is.  I  am  sure  I  didn't  think  once  that 
I  should  ever  come  to  be  what  I  am.  But  I  took  to 
drinking,  and  then  to  quarrelling.  Since  I  began  to 
go  down  hill,  everybody  gives  me  a  kick.  You  are 
the  first  man  who  has  ever  offered  me  a  helping 
hand.  My  wife  is  sickly,  and  my  children  are  starv- 
ing. You  have  sent  them  many  a  meal,  God  bless 
you  !  and  yet  I  stole  the  hides  from  you,  meaning  to 
sell  them  the  first  chance  I  could  get.  But  I  tell 
you  the  truth  when'  I  say  it  is  the  first  time  I  was 
ever  a  thief." 

"  Let  it  be  the  last,  my  friend,"  replied  William 
Savery.  "  The  secret  shall  remain  between  our- 
selves. Thou  art  still  young,  and  it  is  in  thy  power 
to  make  up  for  lost  time.  Promise  me  that  thou 
wilt  not  drink  any  intoxicating  liquor  for  a  year,  and 
I  will  employ  thee  to-morrow  at  good  wages.  Per- 
haps we  may  find  some  employment  for  thy  family 
also.  The  little  boy  can  at  least  pick  up  stones. — 
But  eat  a  bit  now,  and  drink  some  hot  coffee.  Per- 
haps it  will  keep  thee  from  craving  anything  stronger 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  41 

to-night.  Doubtless,  thou  wilt  find  it  hard  to  abstain 
at  first ;  but  keep  up  a  brave  heart,  for  the  sake  of 
thy  wife  and  children,  and  it  will  soon  become  easy. 
When  thou  hast  need  of  coffee,  tell  Mary,  and  she 
will  always  give  it  to  thee." 

The  poor  fellow  tried  to  eat  and  drink,  but  the 
food  seemed  to  choke  him.  After  an  ineffectual  ef- 
fort to  compose  his  excited  feelings,  he  bowed  his 
head  on  the  table,  and  wept  like  a  child.  After  a 
while,  he  ate  and  drank  with  good  appetite ;  and  his 
host  parted  with  him  for  the  night  with  this  kindly 
exhortation;  "Try  to  do  well,  John;  and  thou  wilt 
always  find  a  friend  in  me." 

He  entered  into  his  employ  the  next  day,  and  re- 
mained with  him  many  years,  a  sober,  honest,  and 
faithful  man.  The  secret  of  the  theft  was  kept  be- 
tween them  ;  but  after  John's  death,  William  Savery 
sometimes  told  the  story,  to  prove  that  evil  might  be 
overcome  with  good. 

This  practical  preacher  of  righteousness  was  like- 
wise a  great  preacher  orally ;  if  greatness  is  to  be 
measured  by  the  effect  produced  on  the  souls  of 
others.  Through  his  ministry,  the  celebrated  Mrs. 
Fry  was  first  excited  to  a  lively  interest  in  religion. 
When  he  visited  England  in  1798,  she  was  Elizabeth 
Gurney,  a  lirely  girl  of  eighteen,  rather  fond  of  dress 
and  company.  Her  sister,  alluding  to  the  first  ser- 
mon they  heard  from  William  Savery,  writes  thus : 


42  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

"  His  voice  and  manner  were  arresting,  and  we  all 
liked  the  sound.  Elizabeth  became  a  good  deal  agi, 
tated,  and  1  saw  her  begin  to  weep.  The  next 
morning,  when  she  took  breakfast  with  him  at  her 
uncle's,  he  preached  to  her  after  breakfast,  and  pro- 
phesied of  the  high  and  important  calling  she  would 
be  led  into."  Elizabeth  herself  made  the  following 
record  of  it  in  her  journal;  "In  hearing  William  Sa 
very  preach,  he  seemed  to  me  to  overflow  with  true 
religion  ;  to  be  humble,  and  yet  a  man  of  great  abili- 
ties. Having  been  gay  and  disbelieving,  only  a  few 
years  ago,  makes  him  better  acquainted  with  the 
heart  of  one  in  the  same  condition.  We  had  much 
serious  conversation.  What  he  said,  and  what  I  felt 
was  like  a  refreshing  shower  falling  upon  earth  that 
had  been  dried  up  for  ages." 

This  good  and  gifted  man  often  preached  in  Phila- 
delphia; not  only  at  stated  seasons,  on  the  first  and 
fifth  day  of  the  week,  but  at  evening  meetings  also, 
where  the  Spirit  is  said  to  have  descended  upon 
him  and  his  hearers  in  such  copious  measure  that 
they  were  reminded  of  the  gathering  of  the  apostles 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Isaac  was  at  an  impressible 
age,  and  on  those  occasions  his  thirsty  soul  drank 
eagerly  from  the  fountain  of  living  water.  He  never 
forgot  those  refreshing  meetings.  To  the  end  of  his 
days,  whenever  anything  reminded  him  of  William 
Savery,  he  would  utter  a  warm  eulogium  on  his  deep 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  43 

spirituality,  his  tender  benevolence,  his  cheerful,  ge- 
nial temper,  and  the  simple  dignity  of  his  deport- 
ment. 

Isaac  was  about  twenty-two  years  old,  when  he 
was  received  as  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 
It  was  probably  the  pleasantest  period  of  his  exis- 
tence. Love  and  religion,  the  two  deepest  and 
brightest  experiences  of  human  life,  met  together, 
and  flowed  into  his  earnest  soul  in  one  full  stream. 
He  felt  perfectly  satisfied  that  he  had  found  the  one 
true  religion.  The  plain  mode  of  worship  suited  the 
simplicity  of  his  character,  while  the  principles  incul- 
cated were  peculiarly  well  calculated  to  curb  the  vio- 
lence of  his  temper,  and  to  place  his  strong  will  un- 
der the  restraint  of  conscience.  Duties  toward  God 
and  his  fellow  men  stood  forth  plainly  revealed  to 
him  in  the  light  that  shone  so  clearly  in  his  awaken- 
ed soul.  Late  in  life,  he  often  used  to  refer  to  this 
early  religious  experience  as  a  sweet  season  of  peace 
and  joy.  He  said  it  seemed  as  if  the  very  air  were 
fragrant,  and  the  sunlight  more  glorious  than  it  had 
ever  been  before.  The  plain  Quaker  meeting-house 
in  the  quiet  fields  of  Woodbury  was  to  him  indeed  a 
house  of  prayer,  though  its  silent  worship  was  often 
undisturbed  by  a  single  uttered  word.  Blended  with 
those  spiritual  experiences  was  the  fair  vision  of  his 
beloved  Sarah,  who  always  attended  meeting,  serene 
in  her  maiden  beauty.  The  joy  of  renovated  friend- 


44  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

ship  also  awaited  him  there,  in  that  quaint  old  gath- 
ering place  of  simple  worshippers.  When  he  parted 
from  his  dear  cousin,  Joseph  Whitall,  they  were  both 
young  men  of  good  moral  characters,  but  not  serious- 
ly thoughtful  concerning  religion.  Years  elapsed, 
and  each  knew  not  whither  the  other  was  travelling  in 
spiritual  experiences.  But  one  day,  when  Isaac  went 
to  meeting  as  usual,  and  was  tying  his  horse  in  the 
shed,  a  young  man  in  the  plain  costume  of  the 
Friends  came  to  tie  his  horse  also.  A  glance  showed 
that  it  was  Joseph  Whitall,  the  companion  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth.  For  an  instant,  they  stood  sur- 
prised and  silent,  looking  at  each  other's  dress ;  for 
until  then  neither  of  them  was  aware  that  the  other 
had  become  a  Quaker.  Tears  started  to  their  eyes, 
and  they  embraced  each  other.  They  had  long  and 
precious  interviews  afterward,  in  which  they  talked 
over  the  circumstances  that  had  inclined  them  to  re- 
flect on  serious  subjects,  and  the  reasons  which  induc- 
ed them  to  consider  the  Society  of  Friends  as  the 
best  existing  representative  of  Christianity. 

The  gravity  of  their  characters  at  this  period, 
may  be  inferred  from  the  following  letter,  written 
in  1794 : 

"  Dear  Isaac, — 

While  I  sat  in  retirement  this  evening, 
thou  wert  brought  fresh  into  my  remembrance,  with 
a  warm  desire  for  thy  welfare  and  preservation. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  45 

Wherefore,  be  encouraged  to  press  forward  and 
persevere  in  the  high  and  holy  way  wherein  thou 
hast  measurably,  through  mercy,  begun  to  tread. 
From  our  childhood  I  have  had  an  affectionate  re- 
gard for  thee,  which  hath  been  abundantly  increased ; 
and,  in  the  covenant  of  life  I  have  felt  thee  near. 
May  we,  my  beloved  friend,  now  in  the  spring  time 
of  life,  in  the  morning  of  our  days,  with  full  purpose 
of  heart  cleave  unto  the  Lord.  May  we  seek  Him 
for  our  portion  and  our  inheritance ;  that  He  may 
be  pleased,  in  his  wonderful  loving  kindness,  to  be 
our  counsellor  and  director ;  that,  in  times  of  trouble 
and  commotion,  we  may  have  a  safe  hiding-place, 
an  unfailing  refuge.  I  often  feel  the  want  of  a 
greater  dependance,  a  more  steadfast  leaning,  upon 
that  Divine  Arm  of  power,  which  ever  hath  been,  and 
still  is,  the  true  support  of  the  righteous.  Yet,  I  am 
sometimes  favored  to  hope  that  in  the  Lord's  time 
an  advancement  will  be  known,  and  a  more  full 
establishment  in  the  most  holy  faith.  "For  then 
shall  we  know,  if  we  follow  on  to  know  the  Lord, 
that  His  going  forth  is  prepared  as  the  morning,  and 
He  will  come  unto  us  as  the  rain,  as  the  latter  and 
the  former  rain  upon  the  earth."  May  we,  from 
time  to  time,  be  favored  to  feel  his  animating  pre- 
sence, to  comfort  and  strengthen  our  enfeebled  minds, 
that  so  we  may  patiently  abide  in  our  allotments, 
and  look  forward  with  a  cheering  hope,  that,  what- 


46  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

ever  trials  and  besetments  may  await  us,  they  may 
tend  to  our  further  refinement,  and  more  close  union 
in  the  heavenly  covenant.  And  when  the  end  comes, 
may  we  be  found  among  those  who  through  many 
tribulations  have  wrashed  their  garments  white  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  be  found  worthy  to  stand 
with  him  upon  Mount  Zion. 

So  wisheth  and  prayeth  thy  affectionate  friend, 

JOSEPH  WHITALL." 

The  letters  which  passed  between  him  and  his 
betrothed  partake  of  the  same  sedate  character;  but 
through  the  unimpassioned  Quaker  style  gleams  the 
steady  warmth  of  sincere  affection.  There  is  some- 
thing pleasant  in  the  simplicity  with  which  he  usually 
closed  his  epistles  to  her:  "I  am,  dear  Sally,  thy 
real  friend,  Isaac." 

They  were  married  on  the  eighteenth  of  the  Ninth 
Month,  [September,]  1795;  he  being  nearly  twenty- 
four  years  of  age,  and  she  about  three  years  young- 
er. The  worldly  comforts  which  a  kind  Providence 
bestowed  on  Isaac  and  his  bride,  were  freely  im- 
parted to  others.  The  resolution  formed  after  lis- 
tening to  the  history  of  old  Mingo's  wrongs  was 
pretty  severely  tested  by  a  residence  in  Philadelphia. 
There  were  numerous  kidnappers  prowling  about 
the  city,  and  many  outrages  were  committed,  which 
would  not  have  been  tolerated  for  a  moment  toward 
any  but  a  despised  race.  Pennsylvania  being  on 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  47 

the  frontier  of  the  slave  states,  runaways  were  often 
passing  through;  and  the  laws  on  that  subject  were 
little  understood,  and  less  attended  to.  If  a  colored 
man  was  arrested  as  a  fugitive  slave,  and  discharged 
for  wrant  of  proof,  the  magistrate  received  no  fee ; 
but  if  he  was  adjudged  a  slave,  and  surrendered  to 
his  claimant,  the  magistrate  received  from  five  to 
twenty  dollars  for  his  trouble  ;  of  course,  there  was 
a  natural  tendency  to  make  the  most  of  evidence  in 
favor  of  slavery. 

Under  these  circumstances,  the  Pennsylvania  Abo- 
lition Society  was  frequently  called  upon  to  protect 
the  rights  of  colored  people.  Isaac  T.  Hopper  be- 
came an  active  and  leading  member  of  this  associa- 
tion. He  was  likewise  one  of  the  overseers  of  a 
school  for  colored  children,  established  by  Anthony 
Benezet ;  and  it  was  his  constant  practice,  for  seve- 
ral years,  to  teach  two  or  three  nights  every  week, 
in  a  school  for  colored  adults,  established  by  a  socie- 
ty of  young  men.  In  process  of  time,  he  became 
known  to  everybody  in  Philadelphia  as  the  friend 
and  legal  adviser  of  colored  people  upon  all  emer- 
gencies. The  shrewdness,  courage,  and  zeal,  with 
which  he  fulfilled  this  mission  will  be  seen  in  the 
course  of  the  following  narratives,  which  I  have  se- 
lected from  a  vast  number  of  similar  character,  in 
which  he  was  the  principal  agent. 


48  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

CHARLES  WEBSTER. 

IN  1797,  a  wealthy  gentleman  from  Virginia  went 
to  spend  the  winter  in  Philadelphia,  accompanied 
by  his  wife  and  daughter.  He  had  a  slave  named 
Charles  Webster,  whom  he  took  with  him  as  coach- 
man and  waiter.  When  they  had  been  in  the  city  a 
few  weeks,  Charles  called  upon  Isaac  T.  Hopper, 
and  inquired  whether  he  had  become  free  in  con- 
sequence of  his  master's  bringing  him  into  Pennsyl- 
vania. It  was  explained  to  him,  that  if  he  remained 
there  six  months,  with  his  master's  knowledge  and 
consent,  he  would  then  be  a  free  man,  according  to 
the  laws  of  Pennsylvania.  The  slave  was  quite 
disheartened  by  this  information ;  for  he  supposed 
his  owner  was  well  acquainted  with  the  law,  and 
would  therefore  be  careful  to  take  him  home  before 
that  term  expired. 

"I  am  resolved  never  to  return  to  Virginia,"  said 
he.  "Where  can  I  go  to  be  safe?" 

Friend  Hopper  told  him  his  master  might  be  igno- 
rant of  the  law,  or  forgetful  of  it.  He  advised  him 
to  remain  with  the  family  until  he  saw  them  making 
preparations  to  return.  If  the  prescribed  six  months 
expired  meanwhile,  he  would  be  a  free  man.  If  not, 
there  would  be  time  enough  to  consult  what  had  bet- 
ter be  done.  "  It  is  desirable  to  obtain  thy  liberty 
in  a  legal  way,  if  possible,"  said  he  ;  "for  otherwise 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.     IIOPPKR.  49 

them  wilt  be  constantly  liable  to  be  arrested,  and  may 
never  again  have  such  a  good  opportunity  to  escape 
from  bondage." 

Charles  hesitated,  but  finally  concluded  to  accept 
this  prudent  advice.  The  time  seemed  very  long  to 
the  poor  fellow  ;  for  he  was  in  a  continual  panic  les* 
his  master  should  take  him  back  to  Virginia;  but  he 
did  his  appointed  tasks  faithfully,  and  none  of  the 
family  suspected  what  was  passing  in  his  mind. 

The  long-counted  six  months  expired  at  last ;  and 
that  very  day,  his  master  said,  "  Charles,  grease  the 
carriage-wheels,  and  have  all  things  in  readiness ;  for 
I  intend  to  start  for  home  to-morrow." 

The  servant  appeared  to  be  well  pleased  with  this 
prospect,  and  put  the  carriage  and  harness  in  good 
order.  As  soon  as  that  job  wTas  completed,  he  went 
to  Friend  Hopper  and  told  him  the  news.  When 
assured  that  he  was  now  a  free  man,  according  to 
law,  he  could  hardly  be  made  to  believe  it.  He  was 
all  of  a  tremor  with  anxiety,  and  it  seemed  almost 
impossible  to  convince  him  that  he  was  out  of  dan- 
ger. He  was  instructed  to  return  to  his  master  till 
next  morning,  and  to  send  word  by  one  of  the  hotel 
servants  in  case  he  should  be  arrested  meanwhile. 

The  next  morning,  he  again  called  upon  Friend 
Hopper,  who  accompanied  him  to  the  office  of  Wil- 
liam Lewis,  a  highly  respectable  lawyer,  who  would 
never  take  any  fee  for  his  services  on  such  occa- 
3 


50  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

sions.  When  Mr.  Lewis  heard  the  particulars  of  the 
case,  he  wrote  a  polite  note  to  the  Virginian,  inform- 
ing him  that  his  former  slave  was  now  free,  accord- 
ing to  the  laws  of  Pennsylvania;  and  cautioning  him 
against  any  attempt  to  take  him  away,  contrary  to 
his  own  inclination. 

The  lawyer  advised  Friend  Hopper  to  call  upon 
the  master  and  have  some  preparatory  conversation 
with  him,  before  Charles  was  sent  to  deliver  the 
note.  He  was  then  only  twenty-six  years  of  age, 
and  he  felt  somewhat  embarrassed  at  the  idea  of  call- 
ing upon  a  wealthy  and  distinguished  stranger,  who 
was  said  to  be  rather  imperious  and  irritable.  How- 
ever, after  a  little  reflection,  he  concluded  it  was  his 
duty,  and  accordingly  he  did  it. 

When  the  Southerner  was  informed  that  his  ser- 
vant was  free,  and  that  a  lawyer  had  been  consulted 
on  the  subject,  he  was  extremely  angry,  and  used 
very  contemptuous  language  concerning  people  who 
tampered  with  gentlemen's  servants.  The  young 
Quaker  replied,  "  If  thy  son  were  a  slave  in  Algiers, 
thou  wouldst  thank  me  for  tampering  with  him  to 
procure  his  liberty.  But  in  the  present  case,  I  am 
not  obnoxious  to  the  charge  thou  hast  brought ;  for 
thy  servant  came  of  his  own  accord  to  consult  me,  I 
merely  made  him  acquainted  with  his  legal  rights ; 
and  I  intend  to  see  that  he  is  protected  in  them." 

When  Charles  delivered  the. lawyers  note,  and  his 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  51 

master  saw  that  he  no  longer  had  any  legal  power 
over  him,  he  proposed  to  hire  him  to  drive  the  car- 
riage home.  But  Charles  was  very  well  aware  that 
Virginia  would  be  a  very  dangerous  place  for  him, 
and  he  positively  refused.  The  incensed  Southerner 
then  claimed  his  servant's  clothes  as  his  property, 
and  ordered  him  to  strip  instantly.  Charley  did  as 
he  was  ordered,  and  proceeded  to  walk  out  of  the 
room  naked.  Astonished  to  find  him  willing  to  leave 
the  house  in  that  condition,  he  seized  him  violently, 
thrust  him  back  into  the  room,  and  ordered  him  to 
dress  himself.  When  he  had  assumed  his  garments, 
he  walked  off;  and  the  master  and  servant  never 
met  again. 

Charles  was  shrewd  and  intelligent,  and  conducted 
himself  in  such  a  manner  as  to  g^in  respect.  He 
married  an  industrious,  economical  woman,  who  serv- 
ed in  the  family  of  Chief  Justice  Tilghman.  In  pro- 
cess of  time,  he  built  a  neat  two-story  blouse,  where 
they  brought  up  reputably  a  family  of  fourteen  chil- 
dren, who  obtained  quite  a  good  education  at  the 
school  established  by  Anthony  Benezet. 

BEN  JACKSON. 

Ben  was  born  a  slave  in  Virginia.  When  he  was 
about  sixteen  years  old,  his  mind  became  excited  on 
the  subject  of  slavery.  He  could  not  reconcile  it 
with  the  justice  and  goodness  of  the  Creator,  that 

' 


52  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

one  man  should  be  born  to  toil  for  another  without 
wages,  to  be  driven  about,  and  treated  like  a  beast 
of  the  field.  The  older  he  grew,  the  more  heavily 
did  these  considerations  press  upon  him.  At  last, 
when  he  was  about  twenty-five  years  old,  he  resolved 
to  gain  his  liberty,  if  possible.  He  left  his  master, 
and  after  encountering  many  difficulties,  arrived  in 
Philadelphia,  where  he  let  himself  on  board  a  vessel 
and  went  several  voyages.  When  he  was  thirty 
years  of  age,  he  married,  and  was  employed  as  a 
coachman  by  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  one  of  the  signers 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He  lived  with 
him  two  years ;  and  when  he  left,  Dr.  Rush  gave 
him  a  paper  certifying  that  he  was  a  free  man,  hon- 
est, sober,  and  capable. 

In  1799,  his  master  came  to  Philadelphia,  and  ar- 
rested him  as  his  fugitive  slave.  Ben  had  an  extraor- 
dinary degree  of  intelligence  and  tact.  When  his 
master  brought  hirn  before  a  magistrate,  and  demand- 
ed the  usual  certificate  to  authorize  him  to  take  his 
human  chattel  back  to  Virginia,  Ben  neither  admit- 
ted nor  denied  that  he  was  a  slave.  He  merely  show- 
ed the  certificate  of  Dr.  Rush,  and  requested  that 
Isaac  T.  Hopper  might  be  informed  of  his  situation. 
Joseph  Bird,  the  justice  before  whom  the  case  was 
brought,  detested  slavery,  and  was  a  sincere  friend 
to  the  colored  people.  He  committed  Ben  to  prison 
until  morning,  and  despatched  a  note  to  Isaac  T. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  53 

Hopper  informing  him  of  the  circumstance,  and  re- 
questing him  to  call  upon  Dr.  Rush.  When  the  doc- 
tor was  questioned,  he  said  he  knew  nothing  about 
Ben's  early  history ;  he  lived  with  him  two  years, 
and  was  then  a  free  man. 

,  When  Friend  Hopper  went  to  the  prison,  he  found 
Ben  in  .a  state  of  great  anxiety  and  distress.  He  ad- 
mitted that  he  was  the  slave  of  the  man  who  claimed 
him,  and  that  he  saw  no  way  of  escape  open  for  him. 
His  friend  told  him  not  to  be  discouraged,  and  pro- 
mised to  exert  himself  to  the  utmost  in  his  behalf. 
The  constable  who  had  arrested  him,  sympathized 
with  the  poor  victim  of  oppression,  and  promised  to 
do  what  he  could  for  him.  Finding  him  in  such  a 
humane  mood,  Friend  Hopper  urged  him  to  bring 
Ben  to  the  magistrate's  office  a  short  time  before  the 
hour  appointed  for  the  trial.  He  did  so,  and  found 
Friend  Hopper  already  there,  watching  the  clock. 
The  moment  the  hand  pointed  to  nine,  he  remarked 
that  the  hour,  of  which  the  claimant  had  been  ap- 
prized, had  already  arrived;  no  evidence  had  been 
brought  that  the  man  was  a  slave  ;  on  the  contrary, 
Dr.  Rush's  certificate  was  strong  presumptive  evi- 
dence of  his  being  a  freeman  ;  he  therefore  demand- 
ed that  the  prisoner  should  be  discharged.  Justice 
Bird,  having  no  desire  to  throw  obstacles  in  the  way, 
promptly  told  Ben  he  was  at  liberty,  and  he  lost  no 
time  in  profiting  by  the  information.  Just  as  he 


54  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

passed  out  of  the  door,  he  saw  his  master  coming, 
and  ran  full  speed.  He  had  sufficient  presence  of 
mind  to  take  a  zigzag  course,  and  running  through  a 
house  occupied  by  colored  people,  he  succeeded  in 
eluding  pursuit. 

When  Friend  Hopper  went  home,  he  found  him  at 
his  house.  He  tried  to  impress  upon  his  mind  the 
peril  he  would  incur  by  remaining  in  Philadelphia, 
and  advised  him  by  all  means  to  go  to  sea.  But  his 
wife  was  strongly  attached  to  him,  and  so  unwilling 
to  consent  to  this  plan,  that  he  concluded  to  run  the 
risk  of  staying  with  her.  He  remained  concealed 
about  a  week,  and  then  returned  to  the  house  he  had 
previously  occupied.  They  lived  in  the  second  sto- 
ry, and  there  was  a  shed  under  their  bed-room  win- 
dow. Ben  placed  a  ladder  under  the  window,  to  be 
ready  for  escape  ;  but  it  was  so  short,  that  it  did  not 
reach  the  roof  of  the  shed  by  five  or  six  feet.  His 
wife  was  an  industrious,  orderly  woman,  and  kept 
their  rooms  as  neat  as  a  bee-hive.  The  only  thing 
which  marred  their  happiness  was  the  continual 
dread  that  man-hunters  might  pounce  upon  them,  in 
some  unguarded  hour,  and  separate  them  forever. 
About  a  fortnight  after  his  arrest,  they  were  sitting 
together  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  when  the  door 
wras  suddenly  burst  open,  and  his  master  rushed  in 
with  a  constable.  Ben  sprang  out  of  the  window, 
down  the  ladder,  and  made  his  escape.  His  master 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  55 

and  the  constable  followed  ;  but  as  soon  as  they  were 
on  the  ladder,  Ben's  wife  cut  the  cord  that  held  it, 
and  they  tumbled  heels  over  head  upon  the  shed. 
This  bruised  them  some,  and  frightened  them  still 
more.  They  scrambled  upon  their  feet,  cursing  at  a 
round  rate. 

Ben  arrived  safely  at  the  house  of  Isaac  T.  Hop- 
per, -who  induced  him  to  quit  the  city  immediately, 
and  go  to  sea.  His  first  voyage  was  to  the  East  In- 
dies. While  he  was  gone,  Friend  Hopper  negotiated 
with  the  master,  who,  finding  there  was  little  chance 
of  regaining  his  slave,  agreed  to  manumit  him  for 
one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  As  soon  as  Ben  re- 
turned, he  repaid  from  his  wages  the  sum  which  had 
been  advanced  for  his  ransom.  His  wife's  health 
was  greatly  impaired  by  the  fear  and  anxiety  she  had 
endured  on  his  account.  She  became  a  prey  to  me- 
lancholy, and  never  recovered  her  former  cheerful- 
ness. 

THOMAS  COOPER. 

The  person  who  assumed  this  name  was  called 
Notly,  when  he  was  a  slave  in  Maryland.  He  was 
compelled  to  labor  very  hard,  was  scantily  supplied 
with  food  and  clothing,  and  lodged  in  a  little  ricketty 
hut,  through  which  the  cold  winds  of  winter  whistled 
freely.  He  was  of  a  very  religious  turn  of  mind,  and 
often,  when  alone  in  his  little  cabin  at  midnight,  he 


56  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

prayed  earnestly  to  God  to  release  him  from  his  suf- 
ferings. 

In  the  year  1800,  he  found  a  favorable  opportuni- 
ty to  escape  from  his  unfeeling  master,  and  made  his 
way  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  procured  employment 
in  a  lumber-yard,  under  the  name  of  John  Smith. 
He  was  so  diligent  and  faithful,  that  he  soon  gained 
the  good-will  and  confidence  of  his  employers.  He 
married  a  worthy,  industrious  woman,  with  whom  he 
lived  happily.  By  their  united  earnings  they  were 
enabled  to  purchase  a  small  house,  where  they  en- 
joyed more  comfort  than  many  wealthy  people,  and 
were  much  respected  by  neighbors  and  acquain- 
tances. 

Unfortunately,  he  confided  his  story  to  a  colored 
man,  who,  for  the  sake  of  reward,  informed  his  mas- 
ter where  he  was  to  be  found.  Accordingly,  he  came 
to  Philadelphia,  arrested  him,  and  carried  him  before 
a  magistrate.  Having  brought  forward  satisfactory 
evidence  that  he  was  a  slave,  an  order  was  granted 
to  carry  him  back  to  Maryland.  Isaac  T.  Hopper 
was  present  at  this  decision,  and  was  afflicted  by  it 
beyond  measure.  John's  employers  pitied  his  condi- 
tion, and  sympathized  with  his  afflicted  wife  and 
children.  They  offered  to  pay  a  large  sum  for  his 
ransom;  but  his  savage  master  refused  to  release 
him  on  any  terms.  This  sober,  industrious  man, 
guiltless  of  any  crime,  was  hand-cuffed  and  had  his 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  57 

arms  tied  behind  him  with  a  rope,  to  which  another 
rope  was  appended,  for  his  master  to  hold.  While 
they  were  fastening  his  fetters,  he  spoke  a  few  affec- 
tionate words  to  his  weeping  wife.  "Take  good 
care  of  the  children,"  said  he;  "and  don't  let  them 
forget  their  poor  father.  If  you  are  industrious  and 
frugal,  I  hope  you  will  be  enabled  to  keep  them  at 
school,  trll  they  are  old  enough  to  be  placed  at  ser- 
vice in  respectable  families.  Never  allow  them  to 
be  idle ;  for  that  will  lead  them  into  bad  ways.  And 
now  don't  forget  my  advice ;  for  it  is  most  likely  you 
will  never  see  me  again." 

Then  addressing  his  children,  he  said,  "You  will 
have  no  father  to  take  care  of  you  now.  Mind  what 
your  mother  tells  you,  and  be  very  careful  not  to  do 
anything  to  grieve  her.  Be  industrious  and  faithful 
in  whatever  you  are  set  about ;  and  never  play  in  the 
streets  with  naughty  children." 

They  all  wept  bitterly  while  he  thus  talked  to 
them;  but  he  restrained  his  sobs,  though  it  was  evi- 
dent his  heart  was  well  nigh  breaking.  Isaac  T. 
Hopper  was  present  at  this  distressing  scene,  and 
suffered  almost  as  acutely  as  the  poor  slave  himself. 
In  the  midst  of  his  parting  words,  his  master  seized 
the  rope,  mounted  his  horse,  snapped  his  whip,  and 
set  off,  driving  poor  John  before  him.  This  was 
done  in  a  Christian  country,  and  there  was  no  law  to 
protect  the  victim. 


58  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

John  was  conveyed  to  Washington  and  offered  for 
sale  to  speculators,  who  were  buying  up  gangs  for 
the  Southern  market.  The  sight  of  dejected  and 
brutified  slaves,  chained  together  in  coffles,  was  too 
common  at  the  seat  of  our  republican  government  to 
attract  attention ;  but  the  barbarity  of  John's  master 
was  so  conspicuous,  that  even  there  he  was  rebuked 
for  his  excessive  cruelty.  These  expressions  of  sym- 
pathy were  quite  unexpected  to  the  poor  slave,  and 
they  kindled  a  faint  hope  of  escape,  which  had  been 
smouldering  in  his  breast.  Manacled  as  he  was,  he 
contrived  to  trip  up  his  master,  and  leaving  him  pros- 
trate on  the  ground,  he  ran  for  the  woods.  He  was 
soon  beyond  the  reach  of  his  tyrant,  and  might  have 
escaped  easily  if  a  company  had  not  immediately 
formed  to  pursue  him.  They  chased  him  from  the 
shelter  of  the  bushes  to  a  swamp,  where  he  was 
hunted  like  a  fox,  till  night  with  friendly  darkness 
overshadowed  him.  While  his  enemies  were  sleep- 
ing, he  cautiously  made  his  way  by  the  light  of  the 
stars,  to  the  house  of  an  old  acquaintance,  who  has- 
tened to  take  off  his  fetters,  and  give  him  a  good 
supper. 

Thus  refreshed,  he  hastened  to  bid  his  colored 
friend  farewell,  and  with  fear  and  trembling  set  off 
for  Philadelphia.  He  had  several  rivers  to  cross,  and 
he  thought  likely  men  would  be  stationed  on  the 
bridges  to  arrest  him.  Therefore,  he  hid  himself  in 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  59 

the  deepest  recesses  of  the  woods  in  the  day-time, 
and  travelled  only  in  the  night.  He  suffered  much 
with  hunger  and  fatigue,  but  arrived  home  at  last,  to 
the  great  astonishment  and  joy  of  his  family.  He 
well  knew  that  these  precious  moments  of  affection- 
ate greeting  were  highly  dangerous;  for  his  own 
roof  could  afford  no  shelter  from  pursuers  armed  with 
the  power  of  a  wicked  law.  He  accordingly  hasten- 
ed to  Isaac  T.  Hopper  for  advice  and  assistance. 

The  yellow  fever  was  then  raging  in  Philadelphia, 
and  the  children  had  all  been  carried  into  the  country 
by  their  mother.  Business  made  it  necessary  for 
Friend  Hopper  to  be  in  the  city  during  the  day-time, 
and  a  colored  domestic  remained  with  him  to  take 
charge  of  the  house.  This  woman  was  alone  when 
the  fugitive  arrived ;  but  she  showed  him  to  an  upper 
chamber  secured  by  a  strong  fastening.  He  had 
been  there  but  a  short  time,  when  his  master  came 
with  two  constables  and  proceeded  to  search  the 
house.  When  they  found  a  room  with  the  door 
bolted,  they  demanded  entrance ;  and  receiving  no 
answer,  they  began  to  consult  together  how  to  gain 
admittance.  At  this  crisis,  the  master  of  the  house 
came  home,  and  received  information  of  what  was 
going  on  up-stairs.  He  hastened  thither,  and  or- 
dered the  intruders  to  quit  his  house  instantly.  One 
of  the  constables  said,  "This  gentleman's  slave  is 


60  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

here ;  and  if  you  don't  deliver  him  up  immediately, 
we  will  get  a  warrant  to  search  the  house." 

"  Quit  my  premises,"  replied  Friend  Hopper.  "  The 
mayor  dare  not  grant  a  warrant  to  search  my  house." 

The  men  withdrew  in  no  very  good  humor,  and  a 
message  soon  came  from  the  mayor  requesting  to 
see  Isaac  T.  Hopper.  He  obeyed  the  summons, 
and  the  magistrate  said  to  him,  "This  gentleman 
informs  me  that  his  slave  is  in  your  house.  Is  it 
so?" 

The  wary  Friend  replied,  "Thou  hast  just  told 
me  that  this  man  says  he  is.  Dost  thou  not  believe 
him?" 

"But  I  wish  to  know  from  yourself  whether  he  is 
in  your  house  or  not,"  rejoined  the  magistrate. 

"  If  the  mayor  reflects  a  little,  I  think  he  will  see 
that  he  has  no  right  to  ask  such  a  question ;  and 
that  I  am  not  bound  to  answer  it,"  replied  Friend 
Hopper.  "If  he  is  in  my  house,  and  if  this  man 
can  prove  it,  I  am  liable  to  a  heavy  penalty ;  and  no 
man  is  bound  to  inform  against  himself.  These 
people  have  not  behaved  so  civilly,  that  I  feel  my- 
self under  any  especial  obligations  of  courtesy  to- 
ward them.  Hast  thou  any  further  business  with 
me?" 

"Did  you  say  I  dared  not  grant  a  warrant  to  search 
your  house?"  asked  the  mayor. 

He  answered,  "Indeed  I  did  say  so;    and  I  now 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  61 

repeat  it.  I  mean  no  disrespect  to  anybody  in  au- 
thority ;  but  neither  thou  nor  any  other  magistrate 
would  dare  to  grant  a  warrant  to  search  my  house. 
I  am  a  man  of  established  reputation.  I  am  not  a 
suspicious  character." 

I  The  mayor  smiled,  as  he  replied,  "  I  don't  know 
about  that,  Mr,  Hopper.  In  the  present  case,  I  am 
inclined  to  think  you  are  a  very  suspicious  character." 
And  so  they  parted. 

The  master  resorted  to  various  stratagems  to  re- 
capture his  victim.  He  dressed  himself  in  Quaker 
costume  and  went  to  his  house.  The  once  happy 
home  was  desolate  now;  and  the  anxious  wife  sat 
weeping,  with  her  little  ones  clinging  to  her  in  child- 
ish sympathy.  The  visitor  professed  to  be  very 
friendly  to  her  husband,  and  desirous  to  ascertain 
where  he  could  be  found,  in  order  to  render  him  ad- 
vice and  assistance  in  eluding  the  vigilance  of  his 
master.  The  wife  prudently  declined  giving  any  in- 
formation, but  referred  him  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  as 
the  most  suitable  person  to  consult  in  the  case. 
Finding  that  he  could  not  gain  his  object  by  decep- 
tion, he  forgot  to  sustain  the  quiet  character  he  had 
assumed,  but  gave  vent  to  his  anger  in  a  great  deal 
of  violent  and  profane  language.  He  went  off,  final- 
ly, swearing  that  in  spite  of  them  all  he  would  have 
his  slave  again,  if  he  was  to  be  found  on  the  face  of 
the  earth. 


62  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

John  Smith  remained  under  the  protection  of 
Friend  Isaac  about  a  week.  Spies  were  seen  lurk- 
ing round  the  house  for  several  days ;  but  they  dis- 
appeared at  last.  Supposing  this  was  only  a  trick 
to  put  them  off  their  guard,  a  colored  man  was  em- 
ployed to  run  out  of  the  house  after  dark.  The  ene- 
mies who  were  lying  in  ambush,  rushed  out  and  laid 
violent  hands  upon  him.  They  released  him  as  soon 
as  they  discovered  their  mistake ;  but  the  next  day 
Friend  Hopper  had  them  arrested,  and  compelled 
them  to  enter  into  bonds  for  their  good  behavior. 
On  the  following  evening  the  same  man  was  employ- 
ed to  run  out  again ;  and  this  time  he  was  not  inter- 
rupted. The  third  evening,  John  Smith  himself  ven- 
tured forth  from  his  hiding-place,  and  arrived  safely 
in  New-Jersey. 

He  let  himself  to  a  worthy  farmer,  and  soon  gain- 
ed the  confidence  and  good  will  of  all  the  family. 
He  ate  at  the  same  table  with  them,  and  sat  with 
them  on  Sunday  afternoons,  listening  to  their  read- 
ing of  the  Scriptures  and  other  religious  books. 
This  system  of  equality  did  not  diminish  the  modes- 
ty of  his  deportment,  but  rather  tended  to  increase 
his  habitual  humility. 

He  remained  there  several  months,  during  which 
time  he  never  dared  to  visit  his  family,  though  only 
eight  miles  distant  from  them.  This  was  a  great 
source  of  unhappiness-  for  he  was  naturally  affec 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  63 

tionate,  and  was  strongly  attached  to  his  wife  and 
children.  At  length,  he  ventured  to  hire  a  small 
house  in  a  very  secluded  situation,  not  far  from  the 
village  of  Hadclonfield :  and  once  more  he  gathered 
his  family  around  him.  But  his  domestic  comfort 
was  constantly  disturbed  by  fear  of  men-stealers. 
While  at  his  work  in  the  day-time,  he  sometimes 
started  at  the  mere  rustling  of  a  leaf;  and  in  the 
night  time,  he  often  woke  up  in  agony  from  terrify- 
ing dreams. 

The  false  friend,  who  betrayed  him  to  his  cruel 
master,  likewise  suffered  greatly  from  fear.  When 
he  heard  that  John  had  again  escaped,  he  was  ex- 
ceedingly alarmed  for  his  own  safety.  He  dreamed 
that  his  abused  friend  came  with  a  knife  in  one  hand 
and  a  torch  in  the  other,  threatening  to  murder  him 
and  burn  the  house.  These  ideas  took  such  hold  of 
his  imagination,  that  he  often  started  up  in  bed  and 
screamed  aloud.  But  John  was  too  sincerely  reli- 
gious to  cherish  a  revengeful  spirit.  The  wrong 
done  to  him  was  as  great  as  one  mortal  could  inflict 
upon  another ;  but  he  had  learned  the  divine  precept 
not  to  render  evil  for  evil. 

The  event  proved  that  John's  uneasiness  was  too 
veil  founded.  A  few  months  after  his  family  re- 
,oined  him,  Isaac  T.  Hopper  heard  that  his  master 
had  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  and  was  going  to  New- 
Jersey  to  arrest  him.  He  immediately  apprised  him 


64  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

of  his  danger;  and  the  tidings  were  received  with 
feelings  of  desperation  amounting  to  phrensy.  He 
loaded  his  gun  and  determined  to  defend  himself 
Very  early  the  next  morning,  he  saw  his  master  with 
two  men  coming  up  the  narrow  lane  that  led  to  his 
house.  He  stationed  himself  in  the  door-way,  level- 
ed his  gun,  and  called  out,  "  I  will  shoot  the  first  man 
that  crosses  that  fence !"  They  were  alarmed,  and 
turned  back  to  procure  assistance.  John  seized  that 
opportunity  to  quit  his  retreat.  He  hastened  to 
Philadelphia,  and  informed  Isaac  T.  Hopper  what 
had  happened.  His  friend  represented  to  him  the 
unchristian  character  of  such  violent  measures,  and 
advised  him  not  to  bring  remorse  on  his  soul  by 
the  shedding  of  blood.  The  poor  hunted  fugitive 
seemed  to  be  convinced,  though  it  was  a  hard  lesson 
to  learn  in  his  circumstances.  Again  he  resolved  to 
fly  for  safety ;  and  his  friend  advised  him  to  go  to 
Boston.  A  vessel  from  that  place  was  then  lying  in 
the  Delaware,  and  the  merchant  who  had  charge  of 
her,  pitying  his  forlorn  situation,  offered  him  a  pas- 
sage free  of  expense.  Kindness  bestowed  on  him 
was  always  like  good  seed  dropped  into  a  rich  soil. 
He  was  so  obliging  and  diligent  during  the  voyage, 
that  he  more  than  compensated  the  captain  for  his 
passage.  He  arrived  safely  in  Boston,  where  his 
certificates  of  good  character  soon  enabled  him  to 
procure  employment.  Not  long  after,  he  sent  for  his 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  65 

wife,  who  sold  what  little  property  they  had  in  Phil- 
adelphia, and  took  her  children  to  their  new  home. 

When  John  left  New-Jersey,  he  assumed  the  name 
of  Thomas  Cooper,  by  which  he  was  ever  afterward 
known.  He  had  early  in  life  manifested  a  religious 
turn  of  mind ;  and  this  was  probably  increased  by 
his  continual  perils  and  narrow  escapes.  He  mourn- 
ed over  every  indication  of  ^Rshonesty,  profanity,  or 
dissipation,  among  people  of  his  own  color  ;  and  this 
feeling  grew  upon  him,  until  he  felt  as  if  it  were  a 
duty  to  devote  his  life  to  missionary  labors.  He  be- 
came a  popular  preacher  among  the  Methodists,  and 
visited  some  of  the  West  India  Islands  in  that  capa- 
city. His  Christian  example  and  fervid  exhorta- 
tions, warm  from  the  heart,  are  said  to  have  produc- 
ed a  powerful  effect  on  his  untutored  hearers.  After 
his  return,  he  concluded  to  go  to  Africa  as  a  mission- 
ary. For  that  purpose,  he  took  shipping  with  his 
family  for  London,  where  he  was  received  with  much 
kindness  by  many  persons  to  whom  he  took  letters 
of  introduction.  His  children  were  placed  at  a  good 
school  by  a  benevolent  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends ;  and  from  various  quarters  he  received  the 
most  gratifying  testimonials  of  respect  and  sympa- 
thy. But  what  was  of  more  value  than  all  else  to 
the  poor  harassed  fugitive,  was  the  fact  that  he  now, 
for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  felt  entirely  safe  from 
the  fangs  of  the  oppressor. 


66  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

He  remained  in  London  about  a  year  and  a  half. 
During  that  time  he  compiled  a  hymn  book  which 
his  friends  published  with  his  portrait  in  front.  He 
preached  with  great  acceptance  to  large  congrega- 
tions :  several  thousand  persons  assembled  to  hear 
his  farewell  sermon  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  fo 
Africa.  He  sailed  for  Sierra  Leone,  in  the  latte 
part  of  1818,  and  was  J^eted  there  with  much  cor- 
diality ;  for  his  fame  had  preceded  him.  All  classes 
flocked  to  hear  him  preach,  and  his  labors  were  high- 
ly useful.  After  several  years  spent  in  the  discharge 
of  religious  duties,  he  died  of  the  fever  which  so  of- 
ten proves  fatal  to  strangers  in  Africa.  His  wife 
returned  with  her  children  to  end  her  days  in  Phila- 
delphia. 

A  CHILD  KIDNAPPED. 

In  the  year  1801,  a  Captain  Dana  engaged  pas- 
sage in  a  Philadelphia  schooner  bound  to  Charleston, 
South  Carolina.  The  day  he  expected  to  sail,  he 
called  at  the  house  of  a  colored  woman,  and  told  her 
he  had  a  good  suit  of  clothes,  too  small  for  his  own 
son,  but  about  the  right  size  for  her  little  boy.  He 
proposed  to  take  the  child  home  to  try  the  garments, 
and  if  they  fitted  him  he  would  make  him  a  present 
of  them.  The  mother  was  much  gratified  by  these 
friendly  professions,  and  dressed  the  boy  up  as  well 
as  she  could  to  accompany  the  captain,  who  gave 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  67 

him  a  piece  of  gingerbread,  took  him  by  the  hand, 
and  led  him  away.  Instead  of  going  to  his  lodgings, 
as  he  had  promised,  he  proceeded  directly  to  the 
schooner,  and  left  the  boy  in  care  of  the  captain : 
saying  that  he  himself  would  come  on  board  while 
the  vessel  was  on  the  way  down  the  river.  As  they 
were  about  to  sail,  a  sudden  storm  came  on.  The 
wind  raged  so  violently,  that  the  ship  dragged  her 
anchor,  and  they  were  obliged  to  haul  to  at  a  wharf 
in  the  district  of  Southwark.  A  respectable  man, 
who  lived  in  the  neighborhood,  was  standing  on  the 
wharf  at  the  time,  and  hearing  a  child  crying  very 
bitterly  on  board  the  vessel,  he  asked  the  colored" 
cook  whose  child  that  was,  and  why  he  was  in  such 
distress.  He  replied  that  a  passenger  by  the  name 
of  Dana  brought  him  on  board,  and  that  the  boy  said 
he  stole  him  from  his  mother. 

A  note  was  immediately  despatched  to  Isaac  T. 
Hopper,  who,  being  away  from  home,  did  not  receive 
it  till  ten  o'clock  at  night.  The  moment  he  read  it, 
he  called  for  a  constable,  and  proceeded  directly  to 
the  schooner.  In  answer  to  his  inquiries,  the  cap- 
tain declared  that  all  the  hands  had  gone  on  shore, 
and  that  he  was  entirely  alone  in  the  vessel.  Friend 
Hopper  called  for  a  light,  and  asked  him  to  open  the 
forecastle,  that  they  might  ascertain  whether  any 
person  were  there.  He  peremptorily  refused ;  say- 
ing that  his  word  ought  to  be  sufficient  to  satisfy 


68  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

them.  Friend  Hopper  took  up  an  axe  that  was  lying 
on  the  deck,  and  declared  that  he  would  break  the 
door,  unless  it  was  opened  immediately.  In  this 
dilemma,  the  captain,  with  great  reluctance,  unlock- 
ed the  forecastle ;  and  there  they  found  the  cook  and 
the  boy.  The  constable  took  them  all  in  custody, 
and  they  proceeded  to  the  mayor's.  The  rain  fell  in 
torrents,  and  It  was  extremely  dark;  for  in  those 
days,  there  were  no  lamps  in  that  part  of  the  city. 
They  went  stumbling  over  cellar  doors,  and  wading 
through  gutters,  till  they  arrived  in  Front  street, 
where  Mr.  Inskeep,  the  mayor,  lived.  It  was  past 
midnight,  but  when  a  servant  informed  him  that  Isaac 
T.  Hopper  had  been  ringing  at  the  door,  and  wished 
to  see  him,  he  ordered  him  to  be  shown  up  into  his 
chamber.  After  apologizing  for  the  unseasonable- 
ness  of  the  hour,  he  briefly  stated  the  urgency  of  the 
case,  and  asked  for  a  verbal  order  to  put  the  captain 
and  cook  in  prison  to  await  their  trial  the  next  morn- 
ing. The  magistrate  replied,  "It  is  a  matter  of  too 
much  importance  to  be  disposed  of  in  that  way.  I 
will  come  down  and  hear  the  case."  A  large  hicko- 
ry log,  which  had  been  covered  with  ashes  in  the 
parlor  fire-place,  was  raked  open,  and  they  soon  had 
a  blazing  fire  to  dry  their  wet  garments,  and  take 
off  the  chill  of  a  cold  March  storm.  The  magistrate 
was  surprised  to  find  that  the  captain  was  an  old  ac- 
quaintance ;  and  he  expressed  much  regret  at  meet- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  69 

ing  him  under  such  unpleasant  circumstances.  Af- 
ter some  investigation  into  the  affair,  he  was  required 
to  appear  for  trial  the  next  morning,  under  penalty 
of  forfeiting  three  thousand  dollars.  The  cook  was 
committed  to  prison,  as  a  witness ;  and  the  colored 
boy  was  sent  home  with  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  who 
agreed  to  produce  him  at  the  time  appointed. 

Very  early  the  next  morning,  he  sent  a  messenger 
to  inform  the  mother  that  her  child  was  in  safety ; 
but  she  was  off  in  search  of  him,  and  was  not  to  be 
found.  On  the  way  to  the  mayor's  office,  they  met 
her  in  the  street,  half  distracted.  As  soon  as  she 
perceived  her  child,  she  cried  out,  "  My  son !  My 
son  !"  threw  her  arms  round  him,  and  sobbed  aloud. 
She  kissed  him  again  and  again,  saying,  "Oh  my 
child,  I  thought  I  had  lost  you  forever." 

When  they  all  arrived  at  the  mayor's  office,  at  the 
hour  appointed  for  trial,  the  captain  protested  that 
he  had  no  knowledge  of  anything  wrong  in  the  busi- 
ness, having  merely  taken  care  of  the  boy  at  the  re 
quest  of  a  passenger.  When  he  was  required  to  ap- 
pear at  the  next  court  to  answer  to  the  charge  of 
kidnapping,  he  became  alarmed,  and  told  where  Cap- 
tain Dana  could  be  arrested.  His  directions  were 
followed,  and  the  delinquent  was  seized  and  taken  to 
Isaac  T.  Hopper's  house.  He  was  in  a  towering 
passion,  protesting  his  innocence,  and  threatening 
vengeance  against  everybody  who  should  attempt  to 


70  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

detain  him.  Badly  as  Friend  Hopper  thought  of  the 
man,  he  almost  wished  he  had  escaped,  when  he  dis- 
covered that  he  had  a  wife  and  children  to  suffer  for 
his  misdoings.  His  tender  heart  would  not  allow 
him  to  be  present  at  the  trial,  lest  his  wife  should  be 
there  in  distress.  She  did  not  appear,  however,  and 
Captain  Dana  made  a  full  confession,  alleging  pov- 
erty as  an  excuse.  He  was  an  educated  man,  and 
had  previously  sustained  a  fair  reputation.  He  was 
liberated  on  bail  for  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  which 
was  forfeited ;  but  the  judgments  were  never  enforc- 
ed against  his  securities. 

WAGELMA. 

Wagelma  was  a  lively  intelligent  colored  boy  of 
ten  years  old,  whom  his  mother  had  bound  as  an  ap- 
prentice to  a  Frenchman  in  Philadelphia.  This  man 
being  about  to  take  his  family  to  Baltimore,  in  the 
summer  of  1801,  with  the  intention  of  going  thence 
to  France,  put  his  apprentice  on  board  a  Newcastle 
packet  bound  to  Baltimore,  without  having  the  con- 
sent of  the  boy  or  his  mother,  as  the  laws  of  Penn- 
sylvania required.  The  mother  did  not  even  know 
of  his  intended  departure,  till  she  heard  that  her 
child  was  on  board  the  ship.  Fears  that  he  might  be 
sold  into  slavery,  either  in  Baltimore  or  the  West  In- 
dies, seized  upon  her  mind ;  and  even  if  that  dread- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  71 

ful  fate  did  not  await  him,  there  was  great  probabili- 
ty that  she  would  never  see  him  again. 

In  her  distress  she  called  upon  Isaac  T.  Hopper, 
immediately  after  sunrise.  He  hastened  to  the 
wharf,  where  the  Newcastle  packet  generally  lay, 
but  had  the  mortification  to  find  that  she  had  already 
started,  and  that  a  gentle  breeze  was  wafting  her 
down  the  stream.  He  mounted  a  fleet  horse,  and  in 
twenty  minutes  arrived  at  Gloucester  Point,  three 
miles  below  the  city.  The  ferry  at  that  place  was 
kept  by  a  highly  respectable  widow,  with  whom  he 
had  been  long  acquainted.  He  briefly  stated  the 
case  to  her,  and  she  at  once  ordered  one  of  her  ferry- 
men to  put  him  on  board  the  Newcastle  packet,  which 
was  in  sight,  and  near  the  Jersey  shore.  They  made 
all  speed,  for  there  was  not  a  moment  to  lose. 

When  they  came  along-side  the  packet,  the  cap- 
tain, supposing  him  to  be  a  passenger  for  Baltimore, 
ordered  the  sailors  to  assist  him  on  board.  When 
his  business  was  made  known,  he  was  told  that  the 
Frenchman  was  in  the  cabin.  He  sought  him  out, 
and  stated  that  the  laws  of  Pennsylvania  did  not  al- 
low apprentices  to  be  carried  out  of  the  state  without 
certain  preliminaries,  to  which  he  had  not  attended. 
The  Frenchman  had  six  or  eight  friends  with  him, 
and  as  he  was  going  out  of  the  country,  he  put  the 
laws  at  defiance.  Meanwhile,  the  vessel  was  gliding 
down  the  river,  carrying  friend  Hopper  to  Newcas- 


72  LIFB    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

tie.  He  summoned  the  captain,  and  requested  him 
to  put  the  colored  boy  into  the  ferry-boat,  which  was 
alongside  ready  to  receive  him.  He  was  not  dispos- 
ed to  interfere;  but  when  Friend  Hopper  drew  a 
volume  from  his  pocket  and  read  to  him  the  laws  ap- 
plicable to  the  case,  he  became  alarmed,  and  said 
the  boy  must  be  given,  up.  Whereupon,  Friend 
Hopper  directed  the  child  to  go  on  deck,  which  he 
was  ready  enough  to  do;  and  the  ferryman  soon 
helped  him  on  board  the  boat. 

The  Frenchman  and  his  friends  were  very  noisy 
and  violent.  They  attempted  to  throw  Friend  Hop- 
per overboard;  and  there  were  so  many  of  them, 
that  they  seemed  likely  to  succeed  in  their  efforts. 
But  he  seized  one  of  them  fast  by  the  coat ;  resolved 
to  have  company  in  the  water,  if  he  were  compelled 
to  take  a  plunge.  They  struck  his  hand  with  their 
canes,  and  pulled  the  coat  from  his  grasp.  Then  he 
seized  hold  of  another ;  and  so  the  struggle  continu- 
ed for  some  minutes.  The  ferryman,  who  was  watch- 
ing the  conflict,  contrived  to  bring  his  boat  into  a  fa- 
vorable position;  and  Friend  Hopper  suddenly  let  go 
the  Frenchman's  coat,  and  tumbled  in. 

When  he  returned  to  Philadelphia  with  the  boy, 
he  found  the  mother  waiting  at  his  house,  in  a  state 
of  intense  anxiety.  The  meeting  between  mother 
and  son  was  joyful  indeed ;  and  Wagelma  made  them 
all  laugh  by  his  animated  description  of  his  friend's 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  73 

encounter  with  the  Frenchmen,  accompanied  by  a 
lively  imitation  of  their  gesticulations.  In  witness- 
ing the  happiness  he  had  imparted,  their  benefactor 
found  more  than  sufficient  compensation  for  all  the 

difficulties  he  had  encountered. 

L? 

JAMES  POOVEY. 

Slavery  having  been  abolished  by  a  gradual  pro- 
cess in  Pennsylvania,  there  were  many  individuals 
who  still  remained  in  bondage  at  the  period  of  which 
I  write.  Among  them  was  James  Poovey,  slave  to 
a  blacksmith  in  Pennsylvania.  He  had  learned  his 
master's  trade,  and  being  an  athletic  man,  was  very 
valuable.  During  several  winters,  he  attended  an 
evening  school  for  the  free  instruction  of  colored 
people.  He  made  very  slow  progress  in  learning, 
but  by  means  of  unremitting  industry  and  applica- 
tion, he  was  at  last  able  to  accomplish  the  desire  of 
his  heart,  which  was  to  read  the  New  Testament  for 
himself. 

The  fact  that  colored  men  born  a  few  years  later 
than  himself  were  free,  by  the  act  of  gradual  eman- 
cipation, while  he  was  compelled  to  remain  in  bon- 
dage, had  long  been  a  source  of  uneasiness ;  and  in- 
crease of  knowledge  by  no  means  increased  his  con- 
tentment. Having  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
slavery  was  utterly  unjust,  he  resolved  not  to  submit 
to  it  any  longer.  In  the  year  1802  when  he  was 


74  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

about  thirty-three  years  of  age,  he  took  occasion  to 
inform  his  master  that  he  could  read  the  New  Tes- 
tament. When  he  observed  that  he  was  glad  to  hear 
it,  James  replied,  "But  in  the  course  of  my  reading 
I  have  discovered  that  it  would  be  a  sin  for  me  to 
serve  you  as  a  slave  any  longer". 

"Aye?"  said  his  master.  "Pray  tell  me  how  you 
made  that  discovery." 

"  Why,  the  New  Testament  says  we  must  do  as 
we  would  be  done  by,"  replied  James.  "Now  if  I 
submit  to  let  you  do  by  me,  as  you  would  not  be 
willing  I  should  do  by  you,  I  am  as  bad  as  you  are. 
If  you  will  give  me  a  paper  that  will  secure  my  free- 
dom at  the  end  of  seven  years,  I  will  serve  you 
faithfully  during  that  time  ;  but  I  cannot  consent  to 
be  a  slave  any  longer." 

His  master  refused  to  consent  to  this  proposition. 
James  then  asked  permission  to  go  to  sea  till  he 
could  earn  money  enough  to  buy  his  freedom ;  but 
this  proposal  was  likewise  promptly  rejected. 

"  You  will  get  nothing  by  trying  to  keep  me  in 
slavery,"  said  James;  "for  I  am  determined  to  be 
free.  I  shall  never  make  you  another  offer." 

He  walked  off,  and  his  master  applied  for  a  warrant 
to  arrest  him,  and  commit  him  to  prison,  as  a  disobe- 
dient and  refractory  slave.  When  he  had  been  in  jail 
a  month,  he  called  to  see  him,  and  inquired  whether 
he  were  ready  to  return  home  and  go  to  work. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  75 

"i  am  at  home,"  replied  James.  "I  expect  to 
end  my  days  here.  I  never  will  serve  you  again  as 
a  slave,  or  pay  you  one  single  cent.  What  do  you 
come  here  for  ?  There  is  no  use  in  your  coming." 

The  master  was  greatly  provoked  by  this  conduct, 
and  requested  the  inspectors  to  have  him  put  in  the 
cells  and  kept  on  short  allowance,  till  he  learned  to 
submit.  Isaac  T.  Hopper  was  one  of  the  board ;  and 
as  the  question  was  concerning  a  colored  man,  they 
referred  it  to  him.  Accordingly,  the  blacksmith 
sought  an  interview  with  him,  and  said,  "  Jim  has 
been  a  faithful  industrious  fellow ;  but  of  late  he  has 
taken  it  into  his  head  that  he  ought  to  be  free.  He 
strolled  off  and  refused  to  work,  and  I  had  him  put 
in  prison.  When  I  called  to  see  him  he  insulted  me 
grossly,  and  positively  refused  to  return  to  his  busi- 
ness. I  have  been  referred  to  you  to  obtain  an  order 
to  confine  him  to  the  cells  on  short  allowance,  till  he 
submits." 

Friend  Hopper  replied,  "I  have  been  long  ac- 
quainted with  Jim.  I  was  one  of  his  teachers ;  and 
I  have  often  admired  his  punctuality  in  attending 
school,  and  his  patient  industry  in  trying  to  learn." 

"  It  has  done  him  no  good  to  learn  to  read,"  re- 
joined the  master.  "On  the  contrary,  it  has  made 
him  worse." 

"It  has  made  him  wiser,"  replied  Isaac;  "but  I 
think  it  has  not  made  him  worse.  I  have  scruples 


76  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

about  ordering  him  to  be  punished;  for  he  professes 
to  be  conscientious  about  submitting  to  serve  as  a 
slave.  I  have  myself  suffered  because  I  could  not 
conscientiously  comply  with  military  requisitions. 
The  Society  of  Friends  have  suffered  much  in  Eng- 
land on  account  of  ecclesiastical  demands.  I  have 
thus  some  cause  to  know  how  hateful  are  persecu- 
tors, in  the  sight  of  God  and  of  men.  I  cannot 
therefore  be  active  in  persecuting  James,  or  any 
other  man,  on  account  of  conscientious  scruples." 

"It  is  your  duty  to  have  him  punished,"  rejoined 
the  blacksmith. 

"I  am  the  best  judge  of  that,"  answered  Friend 
Hopper;  "and  I  do  not  feel  justified  in  compelling 
him  to  submit  to  slavery." 

The  blacksmith  was  greatly  exasperated,  and  went 
off,  saying,  "I  hope  to  mercy  your  daughter  will 
marry  a  negro." 

At  the  expiration  of  the  term  of  imprisonment 
allowed  by  law,  James  still  refused  to  return  to  ser- 
vice, and  he  was  committed  for  another  thirty  days. 
His  master  called  to  see  him  again,  and  told  him  if 
he  would  return  home,  and  behave  well,  he  should 
have  a  new  suit  of  clothes  and  a  Methodist  hat.  "  I 
don't  want  your  new  clothes,  nor  your  Methodist 
hat,"  replied  James.  "I  tell  you  I  never  will  serve 
you  nor  any  other  man  as  a  slave.  I  had  rather  end 
my  days  in  jail." 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  77 

His  master  finding  him  so  intractable,  gave  up  the 
case  as  hopeless.  When  his  second  term  of  impri- 
sonment expired,  he  was  discharged,  and  no  one 
attempted  to  molest  him.  He  earned  a  comfortable 
living,  and  looked  happy  and  respectable;  but  his 
lersonal  appearance  was  not  improved  by  leav-ing  his 
oeard  unshaved.  One  day,  when  Friend  Hopper 
met  him  in  the  street,  he  said,  "  Jim,  why  dost  thou 
wear  that  long  beard  ?  It  looks  very  ugly." 

"I  suppose  it  does,"  he  replied,  "but  I  wear  it  as 
a  memorial  of  the  Lord's  goodness  in  setting  me 
free  ;  for  it  was  Him  that  done  it." 

ROMAINE. 

A  Frenchman  by  the  name  of  Anthony  Salignac 
removed  from  St.  Domingo  to  New-Jersey,  and 
brought  with  him  several  slaves  ;  among  whom  was 
Romaine.  After  remaining  in  New-Jersey  several 
years,  he  concluded  in  1802,  to  send  Romaine  and 
his  wife  and  child  back  to  the  West  Indies.  Finding 
him  extremely  reluctant  to  go,  he  put  them  in  prison 
some  days  previous,  lest  they  should  make  an  at- 
tempt to  escape.  From  prison  they  were  put  into  a 
carriage  to  be  conveyed  to  Newcastle,  under  the 
custody  of  a  Frenchman  and  a  constable.  They 
started  from  Trenton  late  in  the  evening,  and  arrived 
in  Philadelphia  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
People  at  the  inn  where  they  stopped  remarked  that 


78  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Romaine  and  his  wife  appeared  deeply  dejected. 
When  food  was  offered  they  refused  to  eat.  His 
wife  made  some  excuse  to  go  out,  and  though  sought 
for  immediately  after,  she  was  not  to  be  found.  Ro- 
maine was  ordered  to  get  into  the  carriage.  The 
Frenchman  was  on  one  side  of  him  and  the  consta- 
ble on  the  other.  "Must  I  go?"  cried  he,  in  accents 
of  despair.  They  told  him  he  must.  "And  alone?" 
said  he.  "Yes,  you  must,"  was  the  stern  reply. 
The  carriage  was  open  to  receive  him,  and  they 
would  have  pushed  him  in,  but  he  suddenly  took  a 
pruning  knife  from  his  pocket,  and  drew  it  three 
times  across  his  throat  with  such  force  that  it  severed 
the  jugular  vein  instantly,  and  he  fell  dead  on  the 
pavement. 

As  the  party  had  travelled  all  night,  seemed  in 
great  haste,  and  watched  their  colored  companions 
so  closely  some  persons  belonging  to  the  prison 
where  they  stopped  suspected  they  might  have  nefa- 
rious business  on  hand ;  accordingly,  a  message  was 
sent  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  as  the  man  most  likely  to 
right  all  the  wrongs  of  the  oppressed.  He  obeyed 
the  summons  immediately ;  but  when  he  arrived,  he 
found  the  body  of  poor  Romaine  weltering  in  blood 
on  the  pavement. 

Speaking  of  this  scene  forty  years  later,  he  said, 
"  My  whole  soul  was  filled  with  horror,  as  I  stood 
viewing  the  corpse.  Reflecting  on  that  awful  spec- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  79 

tacle,  I  exclaimed  within  myself,  How  long,  O  Lord, 
how  long  shall  this  abominable  system  of  slavery  be 
permitted  to  curse  the  land !  My  mind  was  introdu- 
ced into  sympathy  with  the  sufferer.  I  thought  of 
the  agony  he  must  have  endured  before  he  could  have 
resolved  upon  that  desperate  deed.  He  knew  what 
he  had  to  expect,  from  what  he  had  experienced  in 
the  West  Indies  before,  and  he  was  determined  not 
to  submit  to  the  same  misery  and  degradation  again. 
By  his  sufferings  he  was  driven  to  desperation ;  and 
he  preferred  launching  into  the  unknown  regions  of 
eternity  to  an  endurance  of  slavery. 

An  inquest  was  summoned,  and  after  a  brief  con- 
sultation, the  coroner  brought  in  the  following  ver- 
dict :  "  Suicide  occasioned  by  the  dread  of  slavery, 
to  which  the  deceased  knew  himself  devoted." 

Romaine  and  his  wife  were  very  good  looking. 
They  gave  indications  of  considerable  intelligence, 
and  had  the  character  of  having  been  very  faithful 
servants.  His  violent  death  produced  a  good  deal  of 
excitement  among  the  people  generally,  and  much 
sympathy  was  manifested  for  the  wrife  and  child,  who 
had  escaped. 

The  master  had  procured  a  certificate  from  the 
mayor  of  Trenton  authorizing  him  to  remove  his 
slaves  to  the  West  Indies;  but  the  jury  of  inquest, 
and  many  others,  were  of  opinion  that  his  proceed- 
ings were  not  fully  sanctioned  by  law.  Accordingly, 


80  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Friend  Hopper,  and  two  other  members  of  the  Abo- 
lition Society,  caused  him  to  be  arrested  and  brought 
before  a  magistrate ;  not  so  much  with  the  view  of 
punishing  him,  as  with  the  hope  of  procuring  manu- 
mission for  the  wife  and  child.  In  the  course  of  the 
investigation,  the  friends  of  the  Frenchman  were 
somewhat  violent  in  his  defence.  Upon  one  occa- 
sion, several  of  them  took  Friend  Hopper  up  and  put 
him  out  of  the  house  by  main  force;  while  at  the 
same  time  they  let  their  friend  out  of  a  back  door  to 
avoid  him.  However,  Friend  Hopper  met  him  a  few 
minutes  after  in  the  street  and  seized  him  by  the  but- 
ton. Alarmed  by  the  popular  excitement,  and  by 
the  perseverance  with  which  he  was  followed  up,  he 
exclaimed  in  agitated  tones,  "Mon  Dieu!  What  is 
it  you  do  want  ?  I  will  do  anything  you  do  want." 

I  want  thee  to  bestow  freedom  on  that  unfortunate 
woman  and  her  child,"  replied  Friend  Hopper. 

He  promised  that  he  would  do  so;  and  he  soon 
after  made  out  papers  to  that  effect,  which  were 
duly  recorded. 

THE  SLAVE  HUNTER. 

IN  July,  1802,  a  man  by  the  name  of  David  Lea, 
went  to  Philadelphia  to  hunt  up  runaway  slaves  for 
their  Southern  masters.  A  fewr  days  after  his  arri- 
val, he  arrested  a  colored  man,  whom  he  claimed  as 
the  property  of  Nathan  Peacock  of  Maryland.  The 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  81 

man  had  lived  several  years  in  Philadelphia,  had 
taken  a  lot  of  ground  in  the  Northern  Liberties,  and 
erected  a  small  house  on  it. 

In  the  course  of  the  investigation,  the  poor  fellow, 
seeing  no  chance  of  escape,  acknowledged  that  he 
was  Mr.  Peacock's  slave,  and  had  run  away  from 
him  because  he  wanted  to  be  free.  His  friends, 
being  unwilling  to  see  him  torn  from  his  wife  and 
children,  made  an  effort  to  purchase  his  freedom. 
After  much  intreaty,  the  master  named  a  very  large 
sum  as  his  ransom ;  and  the  slave  was  committed  to 
prison  until  the  affair  was  settled. 

David  Lea  was  a  filthy  looking  man,  apparently 
addicted  to  intemperance.  Friend  Hopper  asked 
him  if  he  had  any  business  in  Philadelphia.  He 
answered,  "No."  He  inquired  whether  he  had  any 
money,  and  he  answered,  "No."  Friend  Hopper 
then  said  to  the  magistrate,  "Here  is  a  stranger 
without  money,  who  admits  that  he  has  no  regular 
means  of  obtaining  a  livelihood.  Judging  from  his 
appearance,  there  is  reason  to  conclude  that  he 
may  be  a  dangerous  man.  I  would  suggest  whether 
it  be  proper  that  he  should  be  permitted  to  go  at 
large." 

The  magistrate  interrogated  the  suspicious  look- 
ing stranger  concerning  his  business  in  Philadelphia ; 
and  he,  being  ashamed  to  acknowledge  himself  a 
slave-catcher,  returned  very  evasive  and  unsatis- 


82  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

factory  answers.  He  was  accordingly  committed 
to  prison,  to  answer  at  the  next  court  of  Sessions. 
It  was  customary  to  examine  prisoners  before  they 
were  locked  up,  and  take  whatever  was  in  their 
pockets,  to  be  restored  to  them  whenever  they  were 
discharged.  David  Lea  strongly  objected  to  this 
proceeding ;  and  when  they  searched  him  they  found 
more  than  fifty  advertisements  for  runaway  slaves ; 
a  fact  which  made  the  nature  of  his  business  suf- 
ficiently obvious.  Friend  Hopper,  had  a  serious 
conversation  with  him  in  prison,  during  which  he 
stated  that  he  was  to  have  received  forty-five  dollars 
for  restoring  the  slave  to  his  master.  Friend  Hop- 
per told  him  if  he  would  give  an  order  upon  Mr. 
Peacock  for  that  amourit,  to  go  toward  buying  the 
slave's  freedom,  he  should  be  released  from  con- 
finement, on  condition  of  leaving  the  city  forthwith. 
He  agreed  to  do  so,  and  the  money  was  paid.  But 
the  slave  was  found  to  be  in  debt  more  than  his 
small  house  was  worth,  and  the  price  for  his  ransom 
was  so  exorbitantly  high,  that  it  was  impossible  to 
raise  it.  Under  these  circumstances,  Friend  Hop- 
per thought  it  right  to  return  the  forty-five  dollars  to 
David  Lea  ;  but  he  declined  receiving  it.  He  would 
take  only  three  dollars,  to  defray  his  expenses  home ; 
and  gave  the  following  written  document  concerning 
the  remainder :  "I  request  Isaac  T.  Hopper  to  pay 
the  money  received  from  the  order,  which  I  gave 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  83 

him  upon  Nathan  Peacock,  to  the  managers  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Hospital,  or  to  any  other  charitable 
institution  he  may  judge  proper.  His 

DAVID   x   LEA. 

Mark. 

He  was  discharged  from  prison,  and  the  money 
paid  to  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital.  Next  year,  the 
following  item  was  published  in  their  accounts : 
"  Received  of  David  Lea,  a  noted  negro-rcatcher,  by 
the  hands  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  forty-two  dollars;  he 
having  received  forty-five  dollars  for  taking  up  a 
runaway  slave,  of  which  he  afterward  repented,  and 
directed  the  sum  to  be  paid  to  the  Pennsylvania 
Hospital,  after  deducting  three  dollars  to  pay  his 
expenses  home." 

The  slave  was  carried  back  to  the  South,  but 
escaped  again.  After  encountering  many  difficulties, 
he  was  at  last  bought  for  a  sum  so  small,  that  it  was 
merely  nominal;  and  he  afterward  lived  in  Phila- 
delphia unmolested. 

WILLIAM*  BACHELOR. 

IT  was  a  common  thing  for  speculators  in  slaves 
to  purchase  runaways  for  much  less  than  their  origi- 
nal value,  and  take  the  risk  of  not  being  able  to 
catch  them.  In  the  language  of  the  trade,  this  was 
called  buying  them  running.  In  April,  1802,  Joseph 
Ennells  and  Captain  Frazer,  of  Maryland,  dealers 
in  slaves,  purchased  a  number  in  this  way,  and  came 


84  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

to  Philadelphia  in  search  of  them.  There  they 
arrested,  and  claimed  as  their  property,  William 
Bachelor,  a  free  colored  man,  about  sixty  years 
old.  A  colored  man,  whom  the  slave-dealers  brought 
with  them,  swore  before  a  magistrate  that  William 
Bachelor  once  belonged  to  a  gang  of  slaves,  of  which 
he  was  overseer;  that  he  had  changed  his  name,  but 
he  knew  him  perfectly  well.  William  affirmed  in 
the  most  earnest  manner,  that  he  was  a  free  man; 
but  Mr.  Ennells  and  Captain  Frazer  appeared  to  be 
such  respectable  men,  and  the  colored  witness  swore 
so  positively,  that  the  magistrate  granted  a  certificate 
authorizing  them  to  take  him  to  Maryland. 

As  they  left  the  office,  they  were  met  by  Dr.  Kin- 
ley,  who  knew  William  Bachelor  well,  and  had  a 
great  regard  for  him.  Finding  that  his  protestations 
had  no  effect  with  the  Marylanders,  he  ran  with  all 
speed  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  and  entering  his  door 
almost  out  of  breath,  exclaimed,  "They've  got  old 
William  Bachelor,  and  are  taking  him  to  the  South, 
as  a  slave.  I  know  him  to  be  a  free  man.  Many 
years  ago,  he  was  a  slave  to  my  father,  and  he 
manumitted  him.  He  used  to  carry  me  in  his  arms 
when  I  was  an  infant.  He  was  a  most  faithful 
servant." 

Friend  Hopper  inquired  which  way  the  party  had 
gone,  and  was  informed  that  they  went  toward 
"Gray's  Ferry.''  He  immediately  started  in  pursuit, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  85 

and  overtook  them  half  a  mile  from  the  Schuyl- 
kill.  He  accosted  Mr.  Ennells  politely,  and  told 
him  he  had  made  a  mistake  in  capturing  William 
Bachelor ;  for  he  was  a  free  man.  Ennells  drew  a 
pistol  from  his  pocket,  and  said,  "We  have  had 
him  before  a  magistrate,  and  proved  to  his  satis- 
faction that  the  fellow  is  my  slave.  I  have  got  his 
certificate,  and  that  is  all  that  is  required  to  au- 
thorize me  to  take  him  home.  I  will  blow  your 
brains  out  if  you  say  another  word  on  the  subject, 
or  make  any  attempt  to  molest  me." 

"If  thou  wert  not  a  coward,  thou  wouldst  not  try 
to  intimidate  me  with  a  pistol,"  replied  Isaac.  "  I 
do  not  believe  thou  hast  the  least  intention  of  using 
it  in  any  other  way;  but  thou  art  much  agitated, 
and  may  fire  it  accidentally ;  therefore  I  request 
thee  not  to  point  it  toward  me,  but  to  turn  it  the 
other  way.  It  is  in  vain  for  thee  to  think  of  taking 
this  old  man  to  Maryland.  If  thou  wilt  not  return 
to  the  city  voluntarily,  I  will  certainly  have  thee 
stopped  at  the  bridge,  where  thou  wilt  be  likely  to 
be  handled  much  more  roughly  than  I  am  disposed 
to  do." 

While  this  controversy  was  going  on,  poor  William 
Bachelor  was  in  the  greatest  anxiety  of  mind.  "  Oh, 
Master  Hopper,"  he  exclaimed,  "Don't  let  them  take 
me !  I  am  not  a  slave.  All  the  people  in  Philadel- 


86  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

phia  know  I  am  a  free  man.     I  never  was  in  Mary- 
land in  my  life." 

Ennells,  hearing  the  name,  said,  "  So  your  name 
is  Hopper,  is  it  ?  I  have  heard  of  you.  It's  time 
the  world  was  rid  of  you.  You  have  done  too  much 
mischief  already." 

When  Friend  Hopper  inquired  what  mischief  he 
had  done,  he  replied,  "You  have  robbed  many  people 
of  their  slaves." 

"Thou  art  mistaken,"  rejoined  the  Quaker.  "I 
only  prevent  Southern  marauders  from  robbing  peo- 
ple of  their  liberty." 

After  much  altercation,  it  was  agreed  to  return  to 
the  city ;  and  William  was  again  brought  before  the 
alderman,  who  had  so  hastily  surrendered  him.  Dr. 
Kinley,  and  so  many  other  respectable  citizens, 
attended  as  witnesses,  that  even  Ennells  himself 
was  convinced  that  his  captive  wTas  a  free  man. 
He  was  accordingly  set  at  liberty.  It  was,  howr- 
ever,  generally  believed  that  Mr.  Ennells  knew  he 
was  not  a  slave  when  he  arrested  him.  It  was 
therefore  concluded  to  prosecute  him  for  attempting 
to  take  forcibly  a  free  man  out  of  the  state  and  carry 
him  into  slavery. 

When  Friend  Hopper  went  to  his  lodgings  with 
a  warrant  and  two  constables,  for  this  purpose,  he 
found  him  writing,  with  a  pistol  on  each  side  of  him. 
The  moment  they  entered,  he  seized  a  pistol  and 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  67 

ordered  them  to  withdraw,  or  he  would  shoot  them. 
Friend  Hopper  replied,  "These  men  are  officers,  and 
have  a  warrant  to  arrest  thee  for  attempting  to  carry 
off  a  free  man  into  slavery.  I  advise  thee  to  lay 
down  thy  pistol  and  go  with  us.  If  not,  a  sufficient 
force  will  soon  be  brought  to  compel  thee.  Remem- 
ber thou  art  in  the  heart  of  Philadelphia.  It  is  both 
foolish  and  imprudent  to  attempt  to  resist  the  law. 
A  pistol  is  a  very  unnecessary  article  here,  whatever 
it  may  be  elsewhere.  According  to  appearances, 
thou  dost  not  attempt  to  use  it  for  any  other  purpose 
than  to  frighten  people ;  and  thou  hast  not  succeed- 
ed in  doing  that." 

Rage  could  do  nothing  in  the  presence  of  such 
imperturbable  calmness;  and  Ennells  consented  to 
go  with  them  to  the  magistrate.  On  the  way,  he 
quarrelled  with  one  of  the  constables,  and  gave  him 
a  severe  blow  on  the  face  with  his  cane.  The  officer 
knocked  him  down,  and  would  have  repeated  the 
blow,  if  Friend  Hopper  had  not  interfered.  Assisting 
Ennells  to  rise,  he  said,  "Thou  hadst  better  take 
my  arm  and  walk  with  me.  I  think  we  can  agree 
better." 

When  the  transaction  had  been  investigated  before 
a  magistrate,  Mr.  Ennells  was  bound  over  to  appear 
at  the  next  mayor's  court  and  answer  to  the  charge 
against  him.  The  proprietor  of  the  hotel  where  he 
lodged  became  his  bail.  Meanwhile,  numerous  let- 


88  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

ters  came  from  people  of  the  first  respectability  in 
Maryland  and  Virginia,  testifying  to  his  good  charac- 
ter. His  lawyer  showed  these  letters  to  Friend 
Hopper,  and  proposed  that  the  prosecution  should 
be  abandoned.  He  replied  that  he  had  no  authority 
to  act  in  the  matter  himself ;  but  he  knew  the  Abo- 
lition Society  had  commenced  the  prosecution  from 
no  vindictive  feelings,  but  merely  with  the  view  of 
teaching  people  to  be  careful  how  they  infringed  on 
the  rights  of  free  men.  The  committee  of  that 
society  met  the  same  evening,  and  agreed  to  dismiss 
the  suit,  Mr.  Ennells  paying  the  costs ;  to  which  he 
readily  assented. 

LEVIN  SMITH. 

LEVIN  was  a  slave  in  Maryland.  He  married  a 
free  woman  and  had  several  children.  In  1802,  his 
master  sold  him  to  a  speculator,  who  was  in  the 
habit  of  buying  slaves  for  the  Southern  market. 
His  purchaser  took  him  to  his  farm  in  Delaware, 
and  kept  him  at  work  till  he  could  get  a  profitable 
chance  to  sell  him.  His  new  master  was  a  despe- 
rate fellow,  and  Levin  was  uneasy  with  the  constant 
liability  of  being  sold  to  the  far  South.  He  opened 
his  heart  to  a  neighbor,  who  advised  him  to  escape 
and  gave  him  a  letter  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper.  His  wife 
and  children  had  removed  to  Philadelphia,  and  there 
•he  rejoined  them.  She  took  in  washing,  and  he  sup- 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  89 

ported  himself  by  sawing  wood.  He  had  been  there 
little  more  than  a  month,  when  his  master  heard 
where  he  was,  and  bargained  with  the  captain  of  a  small 
sloop  to  catch  him  and  bring  him  back  to  Delaware. 
The  plan  was  to  seize  Levin  in  his  bed,  hurry  him 
on  board  the  sloop,  and  start  off  immediately,  before 
his  family  could  have  time  to  give  the  alarm.  They 
would  probably  have  succeeded  in  this  project,  if  the 
captain  had  not  drank  a  little  too  freely  the  evening 
previous,  and  so  forgotten  to  get  some  goods  on 
board,  as  he  had  promised.  Levin  was  seized  and 
carried  off;  but  the  sloop  was  obliged  to  wait  for  the 
goods,  and  in  the  meantime  messengers  were  sent  to 
Isaac  T.  Hopper,  He  was  in  bed,  but  sprang  up 
the  instant  he  heard  a  violent  knocking  at  the  door. 
In  his  haste,  he  thrust  on  an  old  rough  coat  and  hat, 
which  he  was  accustomed  to  wear  to  fires ;  for,  in 
addition  to  his  various  other  employments,  he  be- 
longed to  a  fire-company.  He  hurried  to  the  scene 
of  action  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  found  that  the 
slave  had  been  conveyed  to  a  small  tavern  near  the 
wharf  where  the  sloop  lay.  When  the  landlord  was 
questioned  where  the  men  were  who  had  him  in 
custody,  he  refused  to  give  any  information.  But 
there  was  a  crowd  of  men  and  boys ;  and  one  of 
them  said,  "They  are  up-stairs  in  the  back  room." 
The  landlord  stood  in  the  door-way,  and  tried  to  pre- 
vent Friend  Hopper  from  passing  in  ;  but  he  pushed 


90     '  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

him  aside,  and  went  up  to  the  chamber,  where  he 
found  Levin  with  his  hands  tied,  and  guarded  by  five 
or  six  men.     "What  are  you  going  to  do  with  this 
man  ?"  said  he.     The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  his 
mouth,  before  they  seized  him  violently  and  pitched 
him  out   of  the   chamber  window.     He   fell   upon 
empty  casks,  and  his  mind  was  so  excited,  that  he 
was  not  aware  of  being  hurt.     There  was  no  time 
to  be  lost ;  for  unless  there  wras  an  immediate  res- 
cue, the  man  would  be  forced  on  board  the  sloop  and 
carried  off.     As  soon  as  he  could  get  upon  his  feet, 
he  went  round  again  to  the  front  door  and  ascended 
the  stairs  ;  but  the  door  of  the  chamber  was  locked. 
He  then  returned  to  the  back  yard,  mounted  upon 
the  pent -house,  by  means  of  a  high  board  fence,  and 
clambered  into  the  window  of  a  chamber,  that  open- 
ed into  the  room  where  the  slave  was.     He  entered 
with  an  open  penknife  in  his  hand,  exclaiming,   "  Let 
us  see  if  you  will  get  me  out  so  soon  again !"    Speak- 
ing thus,  he  instantly  cut  the  cords  that  bound  the 
slave,  and   called  out,    "  Follow  me !"     He  rushed 
down  stairs  as  fast  as  he  could  go,  and  the  slave  af- 
ter him.     The  guard  were  utterly  astonished  at  see- 
ing the  man  return,  whom  they  had  just  tossed  out 
of  an  upper  window,  and  the  whole  thing  was  done 
so  suddenly,  that  Friend  Hopper  and  the  liberated 
captive  were  in  the  street  before  they  had  time  to 
recover  their  wits. 


LIFE    OV    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  91 

A.  rowdy  looking  crowd  of  men  and  boys  followed 
the  fugitive  and  his  protector,  shouting,  "Stop  thief! 
Stop  thief!"  until  they  came  to  the  office  of  a  justice 
of  the  peace,  half  a  mile  from  where  they  started. 
The  astonished  magistrate  exclaimed,  "Good  hea-" 
vens,  Mr.  Hopper,  what  brings  you  here  this  time  of 
the  morning,  in  such  a  trim,  and  with  such  a  rabble 
at  your  heels !"  When  the  circumstances  were 
briefly  explained,  he  laughed  heartily,  and  said,  "I 
don't  think  they  would  have  treated  you  so  roughly, 
if  they  had  known  who  you  were."  He  was  inform- 
ed that  Levin  was  a  slave  in  Maryland,  but  had  been 
living  in  Delaware  with  a  man  who  bought  him,  and 
had  thus  become  legally  free.  Measures  were  taken 
to  protect  him  from  further  aggression,  and  he  was 
never  after  molested. 

Friend  Hopper  went  home  to  a  late  breakfast ;  and 
when  he  attempted  to  rise  from  the  table,  he  was 
seized  with  violent  pains  in  the  back,  in  consequence 
of  his  fall.  He  never  after  entirely  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  it. 

ETIENNE  LAMAIRE. 

This  man  was  a  slave  to  a  Frenchman  of  the  same 
name,  in  the  Island  of  Guadaloupe.  In  considera- 
tion of  faithful  services,  his  master  gave  him  his  free- 
dom, and  he  opened  a  barber's  shop  on  his  own  ac- 
count. Some  time  after,  he  was  appointed  an  officer 


92  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

in  the  French  army,  against  Victor  Hughes.  He 
had  command  of  a  fort,  and  remained  in  the  army 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  After  that  period,  there 
were  symptoms  of  insurrection  among  the  colored 
people,  because  the  French  government  revoked  the 
decree  abolishing  slavery  in  their  West  India  Islands. 
Etienne  was  a  man  of  talent,  and  had  acquired  con- 
siderable influence,  particularly  among  people  of  his 
own  color.  He  exerted  this  influence  on  the  side  of 
mercy,  and  was  the  means  of  saving  the  lives  of 
several  white  people  who  had  rendered  themselves 
obnoxious  by  their  efforts  to  restore  slavery. 

Affairs  were  so  unsettled  in  Guadaloupe,  that  Eti- 
enne determined  to  seek  refuge  in  the  United  States ; 
and  an  old  friend  of  his  master  procured  a  passport 
for  him.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Anslong,  then  at 
Guadaloupe,  had  two  slaves,  whom  he  was  about  to 
send  to  the  care  of  Dennis  Cottineau,  of  Philadel- 
phia, with  directions  to  place  them  on  a  farm  he 
owned,  near  Princeton,  New-Jersey.  When  it  was 
proposed  that  Etienne  should  take  passage  in  the 
same  vessel,  Anslong  manifested  much  interest  in 
his  behalf.  He  promised  that  he  should  have  his 
passage  free,  for  services  that  he  might  render  on 
board ;  and  he  took  charge  of  his  passport,  saying 
that  he  would  give  it  to  the  captain  for  safe  keeping. 

When  the  vessel  arrived  at  Philadelphia,  in  March, 
1803,  Etienne  was  astonished  to  find  that  Anslong 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  93 

had  paid  his  passage,  and  claimed  him  as  his  slave. 
Dennis  Cottineau  showed  the  receipts  for  the  pas- 
sage money,  and  written  directions  to  forward  the 
three  slaves  to  New-Jersey.  In  this  dilemma,  he 
asked  counsel  of  a  colored  man,  whom  he  had  for- 
merly known  in  Guadaloupe;  and  he  immediately 
conducted  him  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper.  He  related  the 
particulars  of  his  case  very  circumstantially,  and  the 
two  colored  men,  who  were  really  the  slaves  of  Ans- 
long,  confirmed  his  statement.  When  Friend  Hop- 
per had  cautiously  examined  them,  and  cross-exam- 
ined them,  he  became  perfectly  satisfied  that  Etienne 
was  free.  He  advised  him  not  to  leave  the  city,  and 
told  him  to  let  him  know  in  case  Dennis  Cottineau 
attempted  to  compel  him  to  do  so.  He  accordingly 
waited  upon  that  gentleman  and  told  him  he  had  re- 
solved not  to  submit  to  his  orders  to  go  to  New-Jer- 
sey. Whereupon  Cottineau  took  possession  of  his 
trunk,  containing  his  papers  and  clothing,  and  caused 
him  to  be  committed  to  prison. 

A  writ  of  habeas  corpus  was  procured,  and  the 
case  was  brought  before  Judge  Inskeep,  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas.  It  was  found  to  be  involved  in 
considerable  difficulty.  For  while  several  witnesses 
swore  that  they  knew  Etienne  in  Guadaloupe,  as  a 
free  man,  in  business  for  himself,  others  testified  that 
they  had  known  him  as  the  slave  of  Anslong.  It 
was  finally  referred  to  the  Supreme  Court,  and  Eti- 


94  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

enne  was  detained  in  prison  several  months  to  await 
his  trial.  Eminent  counsel  were  employed  on  both 
sides ;  Jared  Ingersoll  for  the  claimant,  and  Joseph 
Hopkinson  for  the  defendant.  A  certificate  was  pro- 
duced from  the  municipality  of  Guadaloupe,  show- 
ing that  Etienne  had  been  an  officer  in  the  French 
army  for  several  years,  and  had  filled  the  station  in 
a  manner  to  command  respect.  The  National  De- 
cree abolishing  slavery  in  that  Island  was  also  read ; 
but  Mr.  Ingersoll  contended  that  when  the  decree 
was  revoked,  Etienne  again  became  a  slave.  In  his 
charge,  Judge  Shippen  said  that  the  evidence  for  and 
against  freedom  was  about  equally  balanced  ;  and  in 
that  case,  it  was  always  a  duty  to  decide  in  favor  of 
liberty.  The  jury  accordingly  brought  in  a  unani- 
mous verdict  that  Etienne  was  free.  The  court  or- 
dered him  to  refund  the  twenty  dollars,  which  Anslong 
had  paid  for  his  passage ;  and  he  was  discharged. 

He  was  a  dark  mulatto,  tall,  well-proportioned, 
and  stylish-looking.  His  handsome  countenance  had 
a  remarkably  bright,  frank  expression,  and  there  was 
a  degree  of  courteous  dignity  in  his  manner,  proba- 
bly acquired-  by  companionship  with  military  officers. 
But  he  belonged  to  a  caste  which  society  has  forbid- 
den to  develop  the  faculties  bestowed  by  nature. 
Such  a  man  might  have  performed  some  higher  use 
than  cutting  hair,  if  he  had  lived  in  a  wisely  organiz- 
ed state  of  society.  However,  he  made  the  best  of 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  95 

such  advantages  as  he  had.  He  opened  a  barber's 
shop  in  Philadelphia,  and  attracted  many  of  the  most 
highly  respectable  citizens  by  his  perfect  politeness 
and  punctuality.  The  colored  people  had  various 
benevolent  societies  in  that  city,  for  the  relief  of  the 
poor,  the  sick,  and  the  aged,  of  their  own  complex- 
ion. Etienne  Lamaire  was  appointed  treasurer  ol 
several  of  these  societies,  and  discharged  his  trust 
with  scrupulous  integrity. 

Isaac  T.  Hopper  had  been  very  active  and  vigi- 
lant in  assisting  him  to  regain  his  freedom ;  and  af- 
terward, when  he  became  involved  in  some  difficulty 
on  account  of  stolen  goods  left  on  his  premises  with- 
out his  knowledge,  he  readily  became  bail  for  him. 
His  confidence  had  not  been  misplaced;  for  when 
the  affair  had  been  fully  investigated,  the  recorder 
declared  that  Mr.  Lamaire  had  acted  like  an  honest 
and  prudent  man,  throughout  the  whole  transaction. 

His  gratitude  to  Friend  Hopper  was  unbounded, 
and  he  missed  no  opportunity  to  manifest  it.  To 
the  day  of  his  death,  some  fourteen  or  fifteen  years 
ago,  he  never  would  charge  a  cent  for  shaving,  or 
cutting  the  hair  of  any  of  the  family,  children,  or 
grand-children;  and  on  New  Year's  day,  he  fre- 
quently sent  a  box  of  figs,  or  raisins,  or  bon-bons,  in 
token  of  grateful  remembrance. 


96  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

SAMUEL  JOHNSON. 

Samuel  Johnson  was  a  free  colored  man  in  the 
state  of  Delaware.  He  married  a  woman  who  was 
slave  to  George  Black.  They  had  several  children, 
and  when  they  became  old  enough  to  be  of  some 
value  as  property,  their  parents  were  continually 
anxious  lest  Mr.  Black  should  sell  them  to  some 
Georgia  speculator,  to  relieve  himself  from  pecunia- 
ry embarrassment ;  an  expedient  which  was  very  of- 
ten resorted  to  under  such  circumstances.  When 
Johnson  visited  his  wife,  they  often  talked  together 
on  the  subject ;  and  at  last  they  concluded  to  escape 
to  a  free  state.  They  went  to  Philadelphia  and 
hired  a  small  house.  He  sawed  wood,  and  she  took 
in  washing.  Being  industrious  and  frugal,  they 
managed  to  live  very  comfortably,  except  the  con- 
tinual dread  of  being  discovered. 

In  December,  1804,  when  they  had  been  thus 
situated  about  two  years,  her  master  obtained  some 
tidings  of  them,  and  immediately  went  in  pursuit. 
A  friend  happened  to  become  aware  of  the  fact,  and 
hastened  to  inform  them  that  Mr.  Black  was  in  the 
city.  Samuel  forthwith  sent  his  wife  and  children 
to  a  place  of  safety ;  but  he  remained  at  home,  not 
supposing  that  he  could  be  in  any  danger.  The 
master  arrived  shortly  after,  with  two  constables, 
and  was  greatly  exasperated  when  he  found  that  his 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  97 

property  had  absconded.  They  arrested  the  hus- 
band, and  vowed  they  would  hold  him  as  a  hostage, 
till  he  informed  them  where  they  could  find  his  wife 
and  children.  When  he  refused  to  accompany  them, 
they  beat  him  severely,  and  swore  they  would  carry 
him  to  the  South  and  sell  him.  He  told  them  they 
might  carry  him  into  slavery,  or  murder  him,  if  they 
pleased,  but  no  torture  they  could  inflict  would  ever 
induce  him  to  betray  his  family.  Finding  they  could 
not  break  his  resolution,  they  tied  his  hands  behind 
his  back,  and  dragged  him  to  a  tavern  kept  by  Peter 
Fritz,  in  Sassafras-street.  There  they  left  him, 
guarded  by  the  landlord  and  several  men,  while  they 
went  in  search  of  the  fugitives. 

Some  of  Johnson's  colored  neighbors  informed 
Isaac  T.  Hopper  of  these  proceedings ;  and  he  went 
to  the  tavern,  accompanied  by  a  friend.  They  at- 
tempted to  enter  the  room  occupied  by  Samuel  and 
his  guard,  but  found  the  door  fastened,  and  the  land- 
lord refused  to  unlock  it.  When  they  inquired  by 
what  authority  he  made  his  tavern  a  prison,  he  re- 
plied that  the  man  was  placed  in  his  custody  by  two 
constables,  and  should  not  be  released  till  they  came 
for  him. 

"Open  the  door!"  said  Friend  Hopper;  "or  we 
will  soon  have  it  opened  in  a  way  that  will  cost 
something  to  repair  it.  Thou  hast  already  made 
thyself  liable  to  an  action  for  false  imprisonment. 


98  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

If  thou  art  not  very  careful,  thou  wilt  find  thysell 
involved  in  trouble  for  this  business." 

The  landlord  swore  a  good  deal,  but  finding  them 
so  resolute,  he  concluded  it  was  best  to  open  the 
door.  After  obtaining  the  particulars  of  the  case 
from  Johnson  himself,  Friend  Hopper  cut  the  cord 
that  bound  his  hands,  and  said,  "Follow  me  !" 

The  men  on  guard  poured  forth  a  volley  of  threats 
and  curses.  One  of  them  sprang  forward  in  great 
fury,  siezed  Johnson  by  the  collar,  and  swore  by  his 
Maker  that  he  should  not  leave  the  room  till  the 
constables  arrived.  Friend  Hopper  stepped  up  to 
him,  and  said,  "  Release  that  man  immediately  !  or 
thou  wilt  be  made  to  repent  of  thy  conduct."  The 
ruffian  quailed  under  the  influence  of  that  calm  bold 
manner,  and  after  some  slight  altercation  let  go  his 
grasp. 

Johnson  followed  his  protector  in  a  state  of  in- 
tense anxiety  concerning  his  wife  and  children.  But 
they  had  been  conveyed  to  a  place  of  safety,  and 
the  man-hunters  never  afterward  discovered  their 
retreat. 

PIERCE  BUTLER'S  BEN. 

IN  August,  1804,  a  colored  man  about  thirty-six 
years  old  waited  upon  the  committee  of  the  Abo- 
lition Society,  and  stated  that  he  was  born  a  slave 
to  Pierce  Butler,  Esq.,  of  South  Carolina,  and  had 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  99 

always  lived  in  his  family.  During  the  last  eleven 
years,  he  had  resided  most  of  the  time  in  Pennsylva- 
nia. Mr.  Butler  now  proposed  taking  him  to  Geor- 
gia ;  but  he  was  very  unwilling  to  leave  his  wife,  she 
being  in  delicate  health  and  needing  his  support. 
After  mature  consideration  of  the  case,  the  commit- 
tee, believing  Ben  was  legally  entitled  to  freedom, 
agreed  to  apply  to  Judge  Inskeep  for  a  writ  of  habeas 
corpus ;  and  Isaac  T.  Hopper  was  sent  to  serve  it 
upon  Pierce  Butler,  Esq.,  at  his  house  in  Chestnut- 
street. 

Being  told  that  Mr.  Butler  was  at  dinner,  he  said 
he  would  wait  in  the  hall  until  it  suited  his  conve- 
nience to  attend  to  him.  Mr.  Butler  was  a  tall,  lord- 
ly looking  man,  somewhat  imperious  in  his  manners, 
as  slaveholders  are  wont  to  be.  When  he  came  into 
the  hall  after  dinner,  Friend  Hopper  gave  him  a  nod 
of  recognition,  and  said,  "How  art  thou,  Pierce  But- 
ler ?  I  have  here  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  for  thy 
Ben." 

Mr.  Butler  glanced  over  the  paper,  and  exclaimed, 
"  Get  out  of  my  house,  you  scoundrel !" 

Feigning  not  to  hear  him,  Friend  Hopper  looked 
round  at  the  pictures  and  rich  furniture,  and  said 
with  a  smile,  "Why,  thou  livest  like  a  nabob  here !" 

"  Get  out  of  my  house,  I  say  !"  repeated  Mr.  But- 
ler, stamping  violently. 

"This  paper  on  the  walls  is  the  handsomest  I  ever 


100  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

saw,"  continued  Isaac.  "  Is  it  French,  or  English  ? 
It  surely  cannot  have  been  manufactured  in  this 
country."  Talking  thus,  and  looking  leisurely  about 
him  as  he  went,  he  moved  deliberately  toward  the 
door;  the  slaveholder  railing  at  him  furiously  all  the 
while. 

"I  am  a  citizen  of  South  Carolina,"  said  he 
"  The  laws  of  Pennsylvania  have  nothing  to  do  with 
me.  May  the  devil  take  air  those  who  come  be- 
tween masters  and  their  slaves;  interfering  with 
what  is  none  of  their  business."  Supposing  that  his 
troublesome  guest  was  deaf,  he  put  his  head  close  to 
his  ear,  and  roared  out  his  maledictions  in  stentorian 
tones. 

Friend  Hopper  appeared  unconscious  of  all  this. 
When  he  reached  the  threshold,  he  turned  round 
and  said,  "Farewell-  We  shall  expect  to  see  thee 
at  Judge  Inskeep's." 

This  imperturbable  manner  irritated  the  hot-blood- 
ed slave-holder  beyond  endurance.  He  repeated 
more  vociferously  than  ever,  "  Get  out  of  my  house, 
you  scoundrel !  If  you  don't,  I'll  kick  you  out." 
The  Quaker  walked  quietly  away,  as  if  he  didn't 
hear  a  word. 

At  the  appointed  time,  Mr.  Butler  waited  upon 
the  Judge,  where  he  found  Friend  Hopper  in  atten- 
dance. The  sight  of  him  renewed  his  wrath.  He 
cursed  those  who  interfered  with  his  property ;  and 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  101 

taking  up  the  Bible,  said  he  was  willing  to  swear 
upon  that  book  that  he  would  not  take  fifteen  hun- 
dred dollars  for  Ben.  Friend  Hopper  charged  him 
with  injustice  in  wishing  to  deprive  the  man  of  his 
legal  right  to  freedom.  Mr.  Butler  maintained  that 
he  was  as  benevolent  as  any  other  man. 

"Thou  benevolent!"  exclaimed  Friend  Hopper. 
"Why,  thou  art  not  even  just.  Thou  hast  already 
sent  back  into  bondage  two  men,  who  were  legally 
entitled  to  freedom  by  staying  in  Philadelphia  dur- 
ing the  term  prescribed  by  law.  If  thou  hadst  a 
proper  sense  of  justice,  thou  wouldst  bring  those 
men  back,  and  let  them  take  the  liberty  that  right- 
fully belongs  to  them." 

"  If  you  were  in  a  different  walk  of  life,  I  would 
treat  your  insult  as  it  deserves,"  replied  the  haughty 
Southerner. 

"What  dost  thou  mean  by  that?  asked  Isaac. 
Wouldst  thou  shoot  me,  as  Burr  did  Hamilton  ?  I 
assure  thee  I  should  consider  it  no  honor  to  be  killed 
by  a  member  of  Congress ;  and  surely  there  would 
be  neither  honor  nor  comfort  in  killing  thee  ;  for  in 
thy  present  state  of  mind  thou  art  not  fit  to  die." 

Mr.  Butler  told  the  judge  he  believed  that  man 
was  either  deaf  or  crazy  when  he  served  the  writ 
of  habeas  corpus ;  for  he  did  not  take  the  slightest 
notice  of  anything  that  was  said  to  him.  Judge  Ins- 


102  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

keep  smiled  as  he  answered,  "You  don't  know  Mr. 
Hopper  as  well  as  we  do," 

A  lawyer  was  procured  for  Ben ;  but  Mr.  Butler 
chose  to  manage  his  own  cause.  He  maintained 
that  he  was  only  a  sojourner  in  Pennsylvania;  that 
Ben  had  never  resided  six  months  at  any  one  time  in 
that  State,  except  while  he  was  a  member  of  Con- 
gress ;  and  in  that  case,  the  law  allowed  him  to  keep 
his  slave  in  Pennsylvania  as  long  as  he  pleased. 
The  case  was  deemed  an  important  one,  and  was 
twice  adjourned  for  further  investigation.  In  the 
course  of  the  argument,  Mr.  Butler  admitted  that  he 
returned  from  Congress  to  Philadelphia,  with  Ben, 
on  the  second  of  January,  1804,  and  had  remained 
there  with  him  until  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  was 
served,  on  the  third  of  August,  the  same  year.  The 
lawyers  gave  it  as  their  opinion  that  Ben's  legal 
right  to  freedom  was  too  plain  to  admit  of  any 
doubt.  They  said  the  law  to  which  Mr.  Butler  had 
alluded  was  made  for  the  convenience  of  Southern 
gentlemen,  who  might  need  the  attendance  of  their 
personal  slaves,  when  Congress  met  in  Philadelphia ; 
but  since  the  seat  of  government  was  removed,  it  by 
no  means  authorized  members  to  come  into  Penn- 
sylvania with  their  slaves,  and  keep  them  there  as 
long  as  they  chose.  After  much  debate,  the  judge 
gave  an  order  discharging  Ben  from  all  restraint, 
and  he  walked  off  rejoicing. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  103 

His  master  was  very  indignant  at  the  decision, 
and  complained  loudly  that  a  Pennsylvania  court 
should  presume  to  discharge  a  Carolinian  slave. 

When  Ben  was  set  at  liberty,  he  let  himself  to 
Isaac  W.  Morris,  then  living  at  his  country  seat 
called  Cedar  Grove,  three  miles  from  Philadelphia. 
Being  sent  to  the  city  soon  after,  on  some  business 
for  his  employer,  he  was  attached  by  the  marshall 
of  the  United  States,  on  a  writ  De  homine  replegian- 
do,  at  the  suit  of  Mr.  Butler,  and  two  thousand  dol- 
lars were  demanded  for  bail.  The  idea  was  proba- 
bly entertained  that  so  large  an  amount  could  not  be 
procured,  and  thus  Ben  would  again  come  into  his 
master's  possession.  But  Isaac  T.  Hopper  and  Tho- 
mas Harrison  signed  the  bail-bond,  and  Ben  was 
again  set  at  liberty,  to  await  his  trial  before  the  Cir- 
cuit Court  of  the  United  States.  Bushrod  Wash- 
ington, himself  a  slaveholder,  presided  in  that  court, 
and  Mr.  Butler  was  sanguine  that  he  should  succeed 
in  having  Judge  Inskeep's  decision  reversed.  The 
case  was  brought  in  October,  1806,  before  Judges 
Bushrod  Washington  and  Richard  Peters.  It  was 
ably  argued  by  counsel  on  both  sides.  The  court 
discharged  Ben,  and  he  enjoyed  his  liberty  thence- 
forth without  interruption. 


104  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

DANIEL  BENSON. 

Daniel  and  his  mother  were  slaves  to  Perry  Boots, 
of  Delaware.  His  master  was  in  the  habit  of  letting 
him  out  to  neighboring  farmers  and  receiving  the 
wages  himself.  Daniel  had  married  a  free  woman, 
and  they  had  several  children,  mostly  supported  by 
her  industry.  His  mother  was  old  and  helpless ;  and 
the  master,  finding  it  rather  burdensome  to  support 
her,  told  Daniel  that  if  he  would  take  charge  of  her, 
and  pay  him  forty  dollars  a  year,  he  might  go  where 
he  pleased. 

The  offer  was  gladly  accepted;  and  in  1805  he 
removed  to  Philadelphia,  with  his  mother  and  family. 
He  sawed  wood  for  a  living,  and  soon  established 
such  a  character  for  industry  and  honesty,  that  many 
of  the  citizens  were  in  the  habit  of  employing  him  to 
purchase  their  wood  and  prepare  it  for  the  winter. 
Upon  one  occasion,  when  he  brought  in  a  bill  to 
Alderman  Todd,  that  gentleman  asked  if  he  had  not 
charged  rather  high.  Daniel  excused  himself  by 
saying  he  had  an  aged  mother  to  support,  in  addition 
to  his  own  family ;  and  that  he  punctually  paid  his 
master  twenty  dollars  every  six  months,  according 
to  an  agreement  he  had  made  with  him.  When  the 
alderman  heard  the  particulars,  his  sympathy  was 
excited,  and  he  wrote  a  note  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper, 
requesting  him  to  examine  into  the  case ;  stating  his 
own  opinion  that  Daniel  had  a  legal  right  to  freedom. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  105 

The  wood-sawyer  started  off  with  the  note  with 
great  alacrity,  and  delivered  it  to  Friend  Hopper, 
paying  in  very  animated  tones,  "  Squire  Todd  thinks 
I  am  free !"  He  was  in  a  state  of  great  agitation 
between  hope  and  fear.  When  he  had  told  his  story, 
he  was  sent  home  to  get  receipts  for  all  the  money 
he  had  paid  his  master  since  his  arrival  in  Philadel- 
phia. It  was  easy  to  prove  from  these  that  he  had 
been  a  resident  in  Pennsylvania,  with  his  owner's 
consent,  a  much  longer  time  than  the  law  required 
to  make  him  a  free  man.  When  Friend  Hopper 
gave  him  this  information,  he  was  overjoyed.  He 
could  hardly  believe  it.  The  tidings  seemed  too 
good  to  be  true.  When  assured  that  he  was  cer- 
tainly free,  beyond  all  dispute,  and  that  he  need  not 
pay  any  more  of  his  hard  earnings  to  a  master,  the 
tears  came  to  his  eyes,  and  he  started  off  to  bring 
his  wife,  that  she  also  might  hear  the  glad  news. 
When  Friend  Hopper  was  an  old  man,  he  often  used 
to  remark  how  well  he  remembered  their  beaming 
countenances  on  that  occasion,  and  their  warm  ex- 
pressions of  gratitude  to  God. 

Soon  after  this  interview,  a  letter  was  addressed 
to  Perry  Boots,  informing  him  that  his  slave  was 
legally  free,  and  that  he  need  not  expect  to  receive 
any  more  of  his  wages.  He  came  to  Philadelphia 
immediately,  to  answer  the  letter  in  person.  His 


106  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

first  salutation  was,  "  Where  can  I  find  that  ungrate- 
ful villain  Dan  ?     I  will  take  him  home  in  irons." 

Friend  Hopper  replied,  "  Thou  wilt  find  thyself 
relieved  from  such  an  unpleasant  task;  for  I  can 
easily  convince  thee  that  the  law  sustains  thy  slave 
in  taking  his  freedom." 

Reading  the  law  did  not  satisfy  him.  He  said  he 
would  consult  a  lawyer,  and  call  again.  When  he 
returned,  he  found  Daniel  waiting  to  see  him;  and 
he  immediately  began  to  upbraid  him  for  being  so 
ungrateful.  Daniel  replied,  "  Master  Perry,  it  was  . 
not  justice  that  made  me  your  slave.  It  was  the 
law  ;  and  you  took  advantage  of  it.  Now,  the  law 
makes  me  free  ;  and  ought  you  to  blame  me  for  tak- 
ing the  advantage  which  it  offers  me  ?  But  suppose 
I  were  not  free,  wrhat  would  you  be  willing  to  take 
to  manumit  me?" 

His  master,  somewhat  softened,  said,  "Why, 
Dan,  I  always  intended  to  set  you  free  some  time  or 
other." 

"I  am  nearly  forty  years  old,"  rejoined  his  bonds- 
man, "and  if  I  am  ever  to  be  free,  I  think  it  is  high 
time  now.  What  would  you  be  willing  to  take  for 
a  deed  of  mamimission?" 

Mr.  Boots  answered,  "Why  I  think  you  ought  to 
give  me  a  hundred  dollars." 

"WTould  that  satisfy  you,  master  Perry  ?  Well,  I 
can  pay  you  a  hundred  dollars,"  said  Daniel. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  107 

Here  Friend  Hopper  interfered,  and  observed  there 
was  nothing  rightfully  due  to  the  master ;  that  if 
justice  were  done  in  the  case,  he  ought  to  pay  Daniel 
for  his  labor  ever  since  he  was  twenty-one  years  old. 

The  colored  man  replied,  "I  was  a  slave  to  mas- 
ter Perry's  father ;  and  he  was  kind  to  me.  Master 
Perry  and  I  are  about  the  same  age.  We  were 
brought  up  more  like  two  brothers,  than  like  master 
and  slave.  I  can  better  afford  to  give  him  a  hun- 
dred dollars,  than  he  can,afford  to  do  without  it.  I 
will  go  home  and  get  the  money,  if  you  will  make 
out  the  necessary  papers  while  I  am  gone." 

Surprised  and  gratified  by  the  nobility  of  soul 
manifested  in  these  words,  Friend  Hopper  said  no 
more  to  dissuade  him  from  his  generous  purpose. 
He  brought  one  hundred  silver  dollars,  and  Perry 
Boots  signed  a  receipt  for  it,  accompanied  by  a  deed 
of  manumission.  He  wished  to  have  it  inserted  in 
the  deed  that  he  was  not  to  be  responsible  for  the 
support  of  the  old  woman.  But  Daniel  objected ; 
saying,  "Such  an  agreement  would  imply  that  I 
would  not  voluntarily  support  my  poor  old  mother." 

When  the  business  was  concluded,  he  invited  his 
former  master  and  Friend  Hopper  to  dine  with  him ; 
saying,  "We  are  going  to  have  a  pretty  good  din- 
ner, in  honor  of  the  day."  Mr.  Boots  accepted  the 
invitation  ;  but  Friend  Hopper  excused  himself,  on 
account  of  an  engagement  that  would  detain  him  till 


108  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

after  dinner.  When  he  called,  he  found  they  had 
not  yet  risen  from  the  table,  on  which  were  the  re- 
mains of  a  roasted  turkey,  a  variety  of  vegetables, 
and  a  decanter  of  wine.  Friend  Hopper  smiled  when 
Daniel  remarked,  "I  know  master  Perry  loves  a  lit- 
tle brandy ;  but  I  did  not  like  to  get  brandy ;  so  I 
bought  a  quart  of  Mr.  Morris'  best  wine,  and  thought 
perhaps  that  would  do  instead.  I  never  drink  any- 
thing but  water  myself." 

Soon  after  Daniel  Bensqji  became  a  free  man,  he 
gave  up  sawing  wood,  and  opened  a  shop  for  the  sale 
of  second-hand  clothing.  He  was  successful  in  bu- 
siness, brought  up  his  family  very  reputably,  and 
supported  his  mother  comfortably  to  the  end  of  her 
days.  For  many  years,  he  was  class-leader  in  a 
Methodist  church  for  colored  people,  and  his  correct 
deportment  gained  the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him. 

If  slavery  wrere  ever  justifiable,  under  any  circum- 
stances, which  of  these  two  characters  ought  to  have 
been  the  master,  and  which  the  slave  ? 

THE  QUICK-WITTED  SLAVE. 

About  the  year  1805,  a  colored  man,  who  belonged 
to  Colonel  Hopper,  of  Maryland,  escaped  with  his 
wife  and  children,  who  were  also  slaves.  He  went 
to  Philadelphia  and  hired  a  small  house  in  Green's 
Court,  where  he  lived  several  months  before  his 
master  discovered  his  retreat.  As  soon  as  he  ob- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  109 

tained  tidings  of  him,  he  went  to  Philadelphia,  and 
applied  to  Richard  Hunt,  a  constable  who  was  much 
employed  as  a  slave  hunter.  Having  procured  a 
warrant,  they  went  together,  in  search  of  the  fugi- 
tives. It  was  about  dusk,  and  the  poor  man  just  re- 
turned from  daily  toil,  was  sitting  peacefully  with 
his  wife  and  children,  when  in  rushed  his  old  master, 
accompanied  by  the  constable. 

With  extraordinary  presence  of  mind,  the  colored 
man  sprang  up,  and  throwing  his  arms  round  his 
master's  neck,  exclaimed,  "  O,  my  dear  master,  how 
glad  I  am  to  see  you  !  I  thought  I  should  like  to  be 
free ;  but  I  had  a  great  deal  rather  be  a  slave.  I 
can't  get  work,  and  we  have  almost  starved.  I 
would  have  returned  home,  but  I  was  afraid  you 
would  sell  me  to  the  Georgia  men.  I  beg  your  par- 
don a  thousand  times-  If  you  will  only  forgive  me, 
I  will  go  back  with  you,  and  never  leave  you  again." 

The  master  was  very  agreeably  surprised  by  this 
reception,  and  readily  promised  forgiveness.  He 
was  about  to  dismiss  the  constable,  but  the  slave 
urged  him  to  stay  a  few  minutes.  "I  have  earned  a 
little  money  to-day,  for  a  rarity,"  said  he;  "and  I 
want  to  go  out  and  buy  something  to  drink ;  for  I 
suppose  old  master  must  be  tired."  He  stepped  out, 
and  soon  returned  with  a  quantity  of  gin,  with  which 
he  liberally  supplied  his  guests.  He  knew  full  well 
that  they  were  both  men  of  intemperate  habits ;  so 


110  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

he  talked  gaily  about  affairs  in  Maryland,  making 
various  inquiries  concerning  what  had  happened  since 
he  left ;  and  ever  and  anon  he  replenished  their  glass- 
es with  gin.  It  was  not  long  before  they  were  com- 
pletely insensible  to  all  that  was  going  on  around 
them.  The  colored  man  and  his  family  then  made 
speedy  preparations  for  departure.  While  Colonel 
Hopper  and  the  constable  lay  in  the  profound  stupor 
of  intoxication,  they  were  on  the  way  to  New  Jersey, 
with  all  their  household  goods,  where  they  found  a 
safe  place  of  refuge  before  the  rising  of 'the  sun. 

When  consciousness  returned  to  the  sleepers,  they 
were  astonished  to  find  themselves  alone  in  the 
house ;  and  as  soon  as  they  could  rally  their  wits, 
they  set  off  in  search  of  the  fugitives.  ^  After  spend- 
ing several  days  without  finding  any  track  of  them, 
the  master  called  upon  Isaac  T.  Hopper.  He  corn- 
plained  bitterly  of  his  servant's  ingratitude  in  ab- 
sconding from  him,  and  of  the  trick  he  had  played 
to  deceive  him.  He  said  he  and  his  family  had  al- 
ways been  extremely  comfortable  in  Maryland,  and 
it  was  a  great  piece  of  folly  in  them  to  have  quitted 
such  a  happy  condition.  He  concluded  by  asking 
for  assistance  in  tracing  them ;  promising  to  treat 
them  as  kindly  as  if  they  were  his  own  children,  if 
they  would  return  to  him. 

Friend  Hopper  replied,  "  If  the  man  were  as  happy 
with  thee  as  thou  hast  represented,  he  will  doubtless 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  HI 

return  voluntarily,  and  my  assistance  will  be  quite 
unnecessary.  I  do  not  justify  falsehood  and  decep- 
tion ;  but  I  am  by  no  means  surprised  at  them  in  one 
who  has  always  been  a  slave,  and  had  before  him 
the  example  of  slaveholders.  Why  thou  shouldst  ac- 
cuse him  of  ingratitude,  is  more  than  I  can  compre- 
hend. It  seems  to  me  that  he  owes  thee  nothing. 
On  the  contrary,  I  should  suppose  that  thou  wert 
indebted  to  him  ;  for  I  understand  that  he  has  served 
thee  more  than  thirty  years  without  wages.  So  far 
from  helping  thee  to  hunt  the  poor  fugitives,  I  will, 
with  all  my  heart,  do  my  utmost  to  keep  them  out 
of  thy  grasp." 

"Have  you  seen  my  man?"  inquired  the  slave- 
holder. 

"He  came  to  me  when  he  left  his  own  house  in 
Green's  Court,"  replied  Friend  Hopper ;  "and  I  gave 
him  such  advice  on  that  occasion,  as  I  thought  pro- 
per. Thou  art  the  first  slaveholder  I  ever  met  with 
bearing  my  name.  Perhaps  thou  hast  assumed  it,  as 
a  means  of  gaining  the  confidence  of  colored  people, 
to  aid  thee  in  recapturing  the  objects  of  thy  avarice." 

The  Colonel  replied  that  it  was  really  his  name, 
arid  departed  without  having  gained  much  satisfac- 
tion from  the  interview.  He  remained  in  Philadel- 
phia a  week  or  ten  days,  where  he  was  seized  with 
mania  a  potu.  He  was  carried  home  in  a  straight 
jacket,  where  he  soon  after  died. 


112  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

A  few  months  after  these  transactions,  the  slave 
called  to  see  Friend  Hopper.  He  laughed  till  he 
could  hardly  stand,  while  he  described  the  method 
he  had  taken  to  elude  his  old  master,  and  the  comi- 
cal scene  that  followed  with  him  and  the  constable. 
"I  knew  his  weak  side,"  said  he.  "I  knew  where 
to  touch  him."  : 

Friend  Hopper  inquired  whether  he  was  not  aware 
that  it  was  wrong  to  tell  falsehoods,  and  to  get  men 
drunk. 

" I  suppose  it  was  wrong,"  he  replied.  "But  lib- 
erty is  sweet ;  and  none  of  us  know  what  we  would 
do  to  secure  it,  till  we  are  tried." 

He  afterward  returned  to  Philadelphia,  where  he 
supported  his  family  comfortably,  and  remained  un- 
molested. 

JAMES  DAVIS. 

In  1795,  James  escaped  from  bondage  in  Mary- 
land, and  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  soon  after 
married.  He  remained  undisturbed  for  ten  years, 
during  which  time  he  supported  himself  and  family 
comfortably  by  sawing  wood.  But  one  day,  in  the 
year  1805,  his  master  called  to  see  him,  accompanied 
by  two  other  men,  who  were  city  constables.  He 
appeared  to  be  very  friendly,  asked  James  how  he 
was  getting  along,  and  said  he  was  glad  to  see  him 
doing  so  well.  At  last,  he  remarked,  "As  you  left 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER  113 

my  service  without  leave,  I  think  you  ought  to  make 
me  some  compensation  for  your  time.  Autumn  is 
now  coming  on,  and  as  that  is  always  a  busy  season 
for  wood-sawyers,  perhaps  you  can  make  me  a  small 
payment  at  that  time." 

This  insidious  conversation  threw  James  com- 
pletely off  his  guard,  and  he  promised  to  make  an 
effort  to  raise  some  money  for  his  master.  As 
soon  as  he  had  said  enough  to  prove  that  he  was  his 
bondsman,  the  slaveholder  threw  off  the  mask  of 
kindness,  and  ordered  the  constables  to  seize  and 
hand-cuff  him.  His  wife  and  children  shrieked  aloud, 
and  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  who  happened  to  be  walking 
through  the  street  at  the  time,  hastened  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  such  alarming  sounds.  Entering  the 
house,  he  found  the  colored  man  hand-cuffed,  and 
his  wife  and  children  making  the  loud  lamentations, 
which  had  arrested  his  attention.  The  poor  woman 
told  how  her  husband  had  been  duped  by  friendly 
words,  and  now  he  was  to  be  torn  from  his  family 
and  carried  off  into  slavery.  Friend  Hopper's  feel- 
ings were  deeply  affected  at  witnessing  such  a  heart- 
rending scene,  and  he  exerted  his  utmost  eloquence 
to  turn  the  master  from  his  cruel  purpose.  The  wife 
and  children  wept  and  entreated  also  ;  but  it  was  all 
in  vain.  He  replied  to  their  expostulations  by  ridi- 
cule, and  proceeded  to  hurry  his  victim  off  to  prison. 
The  children  clung  round  Friend  Hopper's  knees, 


114  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

crying  and  sobbing,  and  begging  that  he  would  not 
let  those  men  take  away  their  father.  But  the  fact 
that  the  poor  fellow  had  acknowledged  himself  a 
slave  rendered  resistance  hopeless.  He  was  taken 
before  a  magistrate,  and  thence  to  prison. 

Friend  Hopper  was  with  him  when  his  master 
came  the  next  day  to  carry  him  away.  With  a 
countenance  expressive  of  deepest  anguish,  the  un- 
happy creature  begged  to  speak  a  word  in  private, 
before  his  master  entered.  When  Friend  Hopper 
took  him  into  an  adjoining  room,  he  exclaimed  in  an 
imploring  tone,  "  Can't  you  give  me  some  advice  ?" 
Agitated  by  most  painful  sympathy,  the  Friend  knew 
not  what  to  answer.  After  a  moment's  hesitation, 
he  said,  "Don't  try  to  run  away  till  thou  art  sure 
thou  hast  a  good  chance."  This  was  all  he  could  do 
for  the  poor  fellow.  He  was  obliged  to  submit  to 
seeing  him  bound  with  cords,  put  into  a  carriage,  and 
driven  off  like  a  sheep  to  the  slaughter-house. 

He  was  conveyed  to  Maryland  and  lodged  in  jail. 
Several  weeks  after,  he  was  taken  thence  and  sold 
to  a  speculator,  who  was  making  up  a  coffle  of  slaves 
for  the  far  South.  After  crossing  the  Susquehanna, 
they  stopped  at  a  miserable  tavern,  where  the  specu- 
lator and  his  companions  drank  pretty  freely,  and 
then  began  to  amuse  themselves  by  shooting  at  a 
mark.  They  placed  the  slave  by  the  tavern  door, 
where  thev  could  see  him.  While  he  sat  there, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  lift 

thinking  of  his  wife  and  children,  feeling'sad  and  for- 
lorn beyond  description,  he  noticed  that  a  fisherman 
drew  near  the  shore  with  a  small  boat,  to  which 
was  fastened  a  rope  and  a  heavy  stone,  to  supply  the 
place  of  an  anchor.  When  he  saw  the  man  step  out 
of  the  boat  and  throw  the  stone  on  the  ground, 
Friend  Hopper's  parting  advice  instantly  flashed 
through  his  mind.  Hardship,  scanty  food,  and  above 
all,  continual  distress  of  mind,  had  considerably  re- 
duced his  flesh.  He  looked  at  his  emaciated  hands, 
and  thought  it  might  be  possible  to  slip  them  through 
his  iron  cuffs.  He  proceeded  cautiously,  and  when 
he  saw  that  his  guard  were  too  busy  loading  their 
pistols  to  wratch  him,  he  released  himself  from  his 
irons  by  a  violent  effort,  ran  to  the  river,  threw  the 
stone  anchor  into  the  boat,  jumped  in,  and  pushed 
for  the  opposite  shore.  The  noise  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  his  guard,  who  threatened  him  with  instant 
death  if  he  did  not  return.  They  loaded  their  pis- 
tols as  quickly  as  possible,  and  fired  after  him,  but 
luckily  missed  their  aim.  James  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  where  he  set  the 
boat  adrift,  lest  some  one  should  take  it  back  and 
enable  them  to  pursue  him.  He  bent  his  course  to- 
ward Philadelphia,  and  on  arriving  there,  went  di- 
rectly to  Friend  Hopper's  house.  He  had  become 
so  haggard  and  emaciated,  that  his  friend  could 
hardly  believe  it  was  James  Davis  who  stood  before 


116  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

him.  He  said  lie  dared  not  go  near  his  old  home, 
and  begged  that  some  place  might  be  provided  where 
he  could  meet  his  wife  and  children  in  safety.  This 
was  accomplished,  and  Friend  Hopper  was  present 
when  the  poor  harassed  fugitive  was  restored  to  his 
family.  He  described  the  scene  as  affecting  beyond 
description.  The  children,  some  of  whom  were  very 
small,  twined  their  little  arms  round  him,  eagerly  in- 
quiring, "  Where  have  you  been  ?  How  did  you  get 
away  ?"  and  his  wife  sobbed  aloud,  while  she  hugged 
the  lost  one  to  her  heart. 

The  next  morning  he  was  sent  to  Bucks  County 
in  a  market  wagon.  Some  friends  there  procured  a 
small  house  for  him,  and  his  family  soon  joined  him. 
He  was  enabled  to  earn  a  comfortable  living,  and  his 
place  of  retreat  was  never  afterward  discovered  by 
enemies  of  the  human  family. 

MARY  HOLLIDAY. 

A  very  light  mulatto  girl,  named  Fanny,  was  slave 
to  the  widow  of  John  Sears,  in  Maryland.  When 
about  twenty-four  years  old,  she  escaped  to  Phila- 
delphia, and  lived  in  the  family  of  Isaac  W.  Morris, 
where  she  was  known  by  the  assumed  name  of  Mary 
Holliday.  She  was  honest,  prudent,  and  industrious, 
and  the  family  became  much  attached  to  her.  She 
had  not  been  there  many  months  when  her  mistress 
obtained  tidings  of  her,  and  went  to  Philadelphia, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  117 

accompanied  by  a  man  named  Dutton.  She  was 
arrested  on  the  seventh  of  June,  1805,  and  taken  be- 
fore Matthew  Lawler,  who  was  then  mayor.  Isaac 
W.  Morris  immediately  waited  on  Isaac  T.  Hopper 
to  inform  him  of  the  circumstance,  and  they  pro- 
ceeded together  to  the  mayor's  office. 

Dutton,  being  examined  as  a  witness,  testified  that 
he  knew  a  mulatto  named  Fanny,  who  belonged  to 
Mrs.  Sears,  and  he  believed  the  woman  present, 
called  Mary  Holliday,  was  that  person.  Mary  de 
nied  that  she  was  the  slave  of  the  claimant,  or  that 
her  name  was  Fanny ;  but  her  agitation  was  very 
evident,  though  she  tried  hard  to  conceal  it. 

Friend  Hopper  remarked  to  the  mayor,  "This 
case  requires  testimony  as  strong  as  if  the  woman 
were  on  trial  for  her  life,  which  is  of  less  value  than 
liberty.  I  object  to  the  testimony  as  insufficient ; 
for  the  witness  cannot  say  positively  that  he  knows 
she  is  the  same  person,  but  only  that  he  believes  so. 
Wouldst  thou  consider  such  evidence  satisfactory  in 
the  case  of  a  white  person  ?" 

The  mayor  who  was  not  friendly  to  colored  peo- 
ple, replied,  "I  should  not;  but  I  consider  it  suffi- 
cient in  such  cases  as  these." 

"How  dark  must  the  complexion  be,  to  justify 
thee  in  receiving  such  uncertain  evidence  ?"  inquired 
Friend  Hopper. 


118  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

The  mayor  pointed  to  the  prisoner  and  said,  "As 
dark  as  that  woman." 

"What  wouldst  thou  think  of  such  testimony  in 
case  of  thy  own  daughter  ?"  rejoined  Friend  Hopper. 
"There  is  very  little  difference  between  her  com- 
plexion and  that  of  the  woman  now  standing  before 
thee." 

He  made  no  reply,  but  over-ruled  the  objection  to 
the  evidence.  He  consented,  however,  to  postpone 
the  case  three  days,  to  give  time  to  procure  testimo- 
ny in  her  favor. 

Isaac  W.  Morris  soon  after  called  upon  Friend 
Hopper  and  said,  "Mary  has  acknowledged  to  us 
that  her  name  is  Fanny,  and  that  she  belongs  to  Mrs. 
Sears.  My  family  are  all  very  much  attached  to 
her,  and  they  cannot  bear  the  thought  of  her  being 
carried  away  into  slavery.  I  will  advance  three 
hundred  dollars,  if  thou  wilt  obtain  her  freedom." 

Friend  Hopper  accordingly  called  upon  Mrs.  Sears, 
and  after  stipulating  that  nothing  said  on  either  side 
should  be  made  use  of  in  the  trial,  he  offered  two 
hundred  dollars  for  a  deed  of  manumission.  The 
offer  was  promptly  rejected.  After  considerable  dis- 
cussion, three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  were  offered ; 
for  it  was  very  desirable  to  have  the  case  settled 
without  being  obliged  to  resort  to  an  expensive  and 
uncertain  process  of  law.  Mrs.  Sears  replied,  "  Tt  is 
in  vain  to  treat  with  me  on  the  subject ;  for  I  am 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  119 

determined  not  to  sell  the  woman  on  any  terms.  I 
will  take  her  back  to  Maryland,  and  make  an  exam- 
ple of  her." 

"I  hope  thou  wilt  find  thyself  disappointed,"  re- 
joined Friend  Hopper.  The  slaveholder  merely  an- 
swered with  a  malicious  smile,  as  if  perfectly  sure  of 
her  triumph. 

Finding  himself  disappointed  in  his  attempts  to 
purchase  the  woman,  Friend  Hopper  resolved  to 
carry  the  case  to  a  higher  court,  and  accumulate 
as  many  legal  obstructions  as  possible.  For  that 
purpose,  he  obtained  a  writ  De  homine  replegiando, 
and  when  the  suitable  occasion  arrived,  he  accompa- 
nied Mary  Holliday  to  the  mayor's  office,  with  a 
deputy  sheriff  to  serve  the  writ.  When  the  trial 
came  on,  he  again  urged  the  insufficiency  of  proof 
brought  by  the  claimant.  The  mayor  replied,  in  a 
tone  somewhat  peremptory,  "I  have  already  decid- 
ed that  matter.  I  shall  deliver  the  slave  to  her 
mistress." 

Friend  Hopper  gave  the  sheriff  a  signal  to  serve 
the  writ.  He  was  a  novice  in  the  business,  but  in 
obedience  to  the  instructions  given  him,  he  laid  his 
hand  on  Mary's  shoulder,  and  said,  "By  virtue  of 
this  writ,  I  replevin  this  woman,  and  deliver  her  to 
Mr.  Hopper." 

Her  protector  immediately  seiid  to  her,  "Thou 
canst  now  go  home  with  me."  But  her  mistress 


120  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

seized  her  by  the  arm,  and  said  she  should  not  go. 
The  mayor  was  little  acquainted  with  legal  forms, 
beyond  the  usual  routine  of  city  business.  He  seem- 
ed much  surprised,  and  inquired  what  the  writ  was. 

"It  is  a  homine  replegiando"  replied  Friend  Hop- 
per. 

"  I  don't  understand  what  that  means,"  said  the 
mayor. 

"It  is  none  the  less  powerful  on  that  account," 
rejoined  Friend  Hopper.  "It  has  taken  the  woman 
out  of  thy  power,  and  delivered  her  to  another  tribu- 
nal." 

During  this  conversation,  the  mistress  kept  her 
grasp  upon  Mary.  Friend  Hopper  appealed  to  the 
mayor,  again  repeating  that  the  girl  was  now  to 
awrait  the  decision  of  another  court.  He  accordingly 
told  Mrs.  Sears  it  was  necessary  to  let  her  go.  She 
asked  what  wras  to  be  done  in  such  a  case.  The 
mayor,  completely  puzzled,  and  somewhat  vexed, 
replied  impatiently,  "I  don't  know.  You  must  ask 
Mr.  Hopper.  His  laws  are  above  mine.  I  thought- 
I  knew  something  about  the  business ;  but  it  seems 
I  don't." 

Mary  went  home  with  her  protector,  and  Mrs. 
Sears  employed  Alexander  J.  Dallas  as  counsel. 
The  case  was  kept  pending  in  the  Supreme  Court  a 
long  time  ;  for  no  man  understood  better  than  Friend 
Hopper  how  to  multiply  difficulties.  Mrs.  Sears  fre- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  121 

quently  attended,  bringing  witnesses  with  her  from 
Maryland ;  which  of  course  involved  much  trouble, 
and  expense.  After  several  years,  the  trial  came  on; 
but  it  was  found  she  had  left  some  of  her  principal 
witnesses  at  home.  Most  of  the  forenoon  was  spent 
in  disputes  about  points  of  law,  and  the  admissibility 
of  certain  evidence.  The  court  then  adjourned. to 
three  in  the  afternoon. 

Mrs.  Sears  was  informed  that  even  if  the  court 
adjudged  Mary  to  be  her  slave,  Friend  Hopper  would 
doubtless  fail  to  produce  her,  and  they  would  be 
compelled  to  go  through  another  process  to  recover 
from  him  the  penalty  of  the  bond.  She  had  become 
exceedingly  weary  of  the  law,  the  trouble  and  ex- 
pense of  which  had  far  exceeded  her  expectations. 
She  therefore  instructed  her  lawyer  to  try  to  effect  a 
compromise.  Friend  Hopper,  being  consulted  for 
this  purpose,  offered  to  pay  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  for  Mary,  if  the  claimant  would  pay  the  costs. 
She  accepted  the  terms,  well  pleased  to  escape  from 
further  litigation. 

When  the  court  met  in  the  afternoon,  they  were 
informed  that  the  matter  was  settled ;  and  the  jury 
with  consent  of  parties,  rendered  a  verdict  that  Mary 
was  free.  By  her  own  earnings,  and  donations  from 
sympathizing  friends,  she  gradually  repaid  Isaac  W. 
Morris  three  hundred  dollars  toward  the  sum  he  had 

advanced  for  the  expenses  of  her  trial. 
6 


122          LIFE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 

In  his  efforts  to  protect  the  rights  and  redress  the 
wrongs  of  colored  people,  Friend  Hopper  had  a  zeal- 
ous and  faithful  ally  in  Thomas  Harrison,  also  a 
member  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  When  recount- 
ing the  adventures  they  had  together,  he  used  to  say, 
"  That  name  excites  pleasant  emotions  whenever  it 
occurs  to  me.  I  shall  always  reverence  his  memory. 
He  was  my  precursor  in  Philadelphia,  as  the  friend 
of  the  slave,  and  my  coadjutor  in  scores  of  cases  for 
their  relief.  His  soul  was  always  alive  to  the  suf- 
ferings of  his  fellow  creatures,  and  dipped  into  sym- 
pathy with  the  oppressed ;  not  that  idle  sympathy 
that  can  be  satisfied  with  lamenting  their  condition, 
and  make  no  exertions  for  their  relief;  but  sympa- 
thy, like  the  apostle's  faith,  manifesting  itself  in 
works,  and  extending  its  influence  to  all  within  its 
reach." 

Thomas  Harrison  was  a  lively,  bustling  man,  with 
a  roguish  twinkle  in  his  eye,  and  a  humorous  style 
of  talking.  Some  Friends,  of  more  quiet  tempera- 
ments than  himself,  thought  he  had  more  activity 
than  was  consistent  with  dignity.  They  reminded 
him  that  Mary  sat  still  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  while 
Martha  was  "troubled  about  many  things." 

"All  that  is  very  well,"  replied  Thomas;  "but 
Mary  would  have  had  a  late  breakfast,  after  all,  if  it 
had  not  been  for  Martha." 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  123 

From   among  various  anecdotes  in  which  Friend 
Harrison's  name  occurs,  I  select  the  following : 

JAMES  LAWLER. 

James  was  a  slave  to  Mr.  Me  Calmont  of  Dela- 
ware. In  1805,  when  he  was  about  thirty  years  old, 
he  escaped  to  New-Jersey  and  let  himself  out  to  a 
farmer.  After  he  had  been  there  a  few  months, 
several  runaway  slaves  in  his  neighborhood  were  ar- 
rested and  carried  back  to  the  South.  This  alarmed 
him,  and  he  became  very  anxious  that  some  person 
should  advance  a  sum  of  money  sufficient  to  redeem 
him  from  bondage,  which  he  would  bind  himself  to 
repay  by  labor.  Finding  that  his  employer  abhorred 
slavery,  and  was  very  friendly  to  colored  people,  he 
ventured  to  open  his  heart  to  him ;  and  Isaac  T. 
Hopper  was  consulted  on  the  subject. 

The  first  step  was  to  write  to  Mr.  Me  Calmont  to 
ascertain  what  were  the  lowest  terms  on  which  he 
would  manumit  his  slave.  The  master  soon  came 
in  person,  accompanied  by  a  Philadelphia  merchant, 
who  testified  that  his  friend  Me  Calmont  was  a  high- 
ly respectable  man,  and  treated  his  slaves  with  great 
kindness.  He  said  James  would  be  much  happier 
with  his  master  than  he  could  be  in  any  other  situa- 
tion, and  strongly  urged  Friend  Hopper  to  tell  where 
he  might  be  found. 

He  replied,  "It  does  not  appear  that  James  tlwught 


124  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

himself  so  happy,  or  he  would  not  have  left  his  ser- 
vice. Even  if  I  had  no  objection  to  slavery,  I  should 
still  be  bound  by  every  principle  of  honor  not  to  be- 
tray the  confidence  reposed  in  me.  But  feeling  as 
it  is  well  known  I  do  on  that  subject,  I  am  surprised 
thou  shouldst  make  such  a  proposition  to  me." 

They  then  called  upon  Thomas  Harrison,  and 
tried  to  enlist  him  in  their  favor  by  repeating  how 
well  James  had  been  treated,  and  how  happy  he 
was  in  slavery.  Friend  Harrison  replied,  in  his 
ironical  way,  "  O,  I  know  very  well  that  slaves  sleep 
on  feather  beds,  while  their  master's  children  sleep 
on  straw;  that  they  eat  white  bread,  and  their 
master's  children  eat  brown.  But  enclose  ten  acres 
with  a  high  wall,  plant  it  with  Lombardy  poplars 
and  the  most  beautiful  shrubbery,  build  a  magnifi- 
cent castle  in  the  midst  of  it,  give  thee  pen,  ink,  and 
paper,  to  write  about  the  political  elections  in  which 
thou  art  so  much  interested,  load  thee  with  the  best 
of  everything  thy  heart  could  desire,  still  I  think 
thou  would  st  want  to  get  out  beyond  the  wall." 

The  master,  being  unable  to  ascertain  where  his 
slave  could  be  found,  finally  informed  Friend  Hop- 
per that  he  would  manumit  him  on  the  receipt  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  Mr.  John  Hart,  a  drug- 
gist, generously  advanced  the  sum,  and  James  was 
indentured  to  him  for  the  term  of  five  years.  Before 
the  contract  was  concluded,  somebody  remarked 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  125 

that  perhaps  he  would  repeat  his  old  trick  of  run- 
ning away.  "I  am  not  afraid  of  that,"  replied  Mr. 
Hart.  "I  will  tie  him  by  the  teeth;"  meaning  he 
would  feed  him  well. 

In  fact,  James  now  appeared  quite  satisfied.  His 
new  master  and  mistress  were  kind  to  him,  and  he 
was  faithful  and  diligent  in  their  service.  When  a 
year  or  two  had  elapsed,  he  asked  permission  to 
visit  his  old  master  and  fellow  servants.  Mr.  Hart 
kept  a  carriage,  which  he  seldom  used  in  the  winter, 
and  he  told  James  he  might  take  one  of  the  horses. 
This  suited  his  taste  exactly.  He  mounted  a  noble 
looking  animal,  with  handsome  saddle  and  bridle, 
and  trotted  off  to  Delaware.  When  he  arrived, 
he  tied  the  horse  and  went  into  the  kitchen.  Mr. 
Me  Calmont  coming  home  soon  after,  and  observing 
a  very  fine  horse  in  his  yard,  supposed  he  must  have 
some  distinguished  visitor.  Upon  inquiry,  he  was 
informed  that  Jim  rode  the  horse  there,  and  was 
then  in  the  kitchen.  He  went  out  and  spoke  very 
pleasantly  to  his  former  slave,  and  said  he  \vas  glad 
to  see  him.  Being  informed  that  the  horse  belonged 
to  his  new  master,  Mr.  Hart,  who  had  kindly  per- 
mitted him  to  use  it,  he  ordered  the  animal  to  be 
taken  to  the  stable  and  supplied  with  hay  and  oats. 
Jarnes  wras  treated  kindly  by  all  the  family,  and 
spent  two  days  very  agreeably.  When  about  to 
take  leave,  Mr.  Me  Calmont  said  to  him,  "Well, 


l~t>  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Jim,  I  am  glad  to  find  that  you  have  a  good  master, 
and  are  happy.  But  I  had  rather  you  would  not 
come  here  again  in  the  style  you  now  have ;  for  it 
will  make  my  people  dissatisfied." 

James  returned  much  pleased  with  his  excursion, 
and  soon  went  to  give  Friend  Hopper  an  account  of 
it.  He  served  out  his  time  faithfully,  and  remained 
afterward  in  the  same  family,  as  a  hired  servant. 

WILLIAM  ANDERSON. 

WILLIAM  was  a  slave  in  Virginia.  When  about 
twenty-five  years  old,  he  left  his  master  and  went 
to  Philadelphia  with  two  of  his  fellow  slaves ;  giving 
as  a  reason  that  he  wanted  to  try  whether  he  could  n't 
do  something  for  himself.  When  they  had  been 
absent  a  few  months,  their  master  "sold  them  run- 
ning" to  Mr.  Joseph  Ennells,  a  speculator  in  slaves, 
who  procured  a  warrant  and  constable,  and  repaired 
to  Philadelphia  in  search  of  his  newly  acquired  pro- 
perty. They  arrived  on  Saturday,  a  day  when  many 
people  congregated  at  the  horse-market.  Ennells 
soon  espied  the  three  fugitives  among  the  crowd, 
and  made  an  attempt  to  pounce  upon  them.  Lucki- 
ly, they  saw  the  movement,  and  dodging  quickly 
among  the  multitude,  they  escaped. 

After  spending  some  days  in  search  of  them,  En- 
nells called  upon  Isaac  T.  Hopper  and  Thomas 
Harrison,  and  offered  to  sell  them  very  cheap  if 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  127 

they  would  hunt  them  up.  Friend  Hepper  immedi- 
ately recognized  him  as  the  man  who  had  threat- 
ened to  blow  out  his  brains,  when  he  went  to  the 
rescue  of  old  William  Bachelor ;  and  he  thus  ad- 
dressed him  :  "I  would  advise  thee  to  go  home  and 
obtain  thy  living  in  some  more  honorable  way ;  for 
the  trade  in  which  thou  art  engaged  is  a  most  odious 
one.  On  a  former  occasion  thou  wert  treated  with 
leniency ;  and  I  recommend  a  similar  course  to  thee 
with  regard  to  these  poor  fugitives." 

The  speculator  finally  agreed  to  sell  the  three 
men  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  The  money 
was  paid,  and  he  returned  home.  In  the  course  of 
a  few  days  William  Anderson  called  upon  Isaac  T. 
Hopper  for  advice.  He  informed  him  that  Thomas 
Harrison  had  bought  him  and  his  companions,  and 
told  him  he  had  better  find  the  other  two,  and  go 
and  make  a  bargain  with  Friend  Harrison  concerning 
the  payment.  He  called  accordingly,  and  offered  to 
bind  himself  as  a  servant  until  he  had  earned  enough 
to  repay  the  money  that  had  been  advanced ;  but  he 
said  he  had  searched  in  vain  for  the  two  companions 
of  his  flight.  They  had  left  the  city  abruptly,  and 
he  could  not  ascertain  where  they  had  gone.  Tho- 
mas Harrison  said  to  him,  "Perhaps  thou  art  not 
aware  that  thou  hast  a  legal  claim  to  thy  freedom 
already ;  for  I  am  a  citizen  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
the  laws  here  do  not  allow  any  man  to  hold  a  slave." 


.128  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

William  replied,  "I  am  too  grateful  for  the  kind- 
ness you  have  shown  me,  to  feel  any  disposition 
to  take  advantage  of  that  circumstance.  If  I  live, 
you  shall  never  lose  a  single  cent  on  my  account." 

He  was  soon  after  indentured  to  Mr.  Jacob  Down- 
ing a  respectable  merchant  of  Philadelphia,  who 
agreed  to  pay  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars 
for  his  services.  This  was  half  of  the  money  ad- 
vanced for  all  of  them.  William  served  the  stipu- 
lated time  faithfully.  His  master  said  he  never  had 
a  more  honest  and  useful  servant ;  and  he  on  his 
part  always  spoke  of  the  family  with  great  respect 
and  affection. 

When  the  time  of  his  indenture  had  expired,  he 
called  upon  his  old  benefactor,  Thomas  Harrison. 
After  renewing  his  grateful  acknowledgments  for 
the  service  rendered  to  him  in  extremity,  he  inquired 
whether  anything  had  ever  been  heard  from  the  two 
other  fugitives.  Being  answered  in  the  negative,  he 
replied,  "Well,  Mr.  Harrison,  you  paid  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  for  us,  and  you  have  not  been  able 
to  find  my  companions.  You  have  received  only 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars.  It  is  not  right 
that  you  should  lose  by  your  kindness  to  us.  I  am 
willing  you  should  bind  me  again  to  make  up  the 
balance." 

"  Honest  fellow !  Honest  fellow ! "  exclaimed  Tho  • 
mas  Harrison.  "  Go  about  thy  business.  Thou  hast 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  129 

paid  thy  share,  and  I  have  no  further  claim  upon 
thee.  Conduct  as  well  as  thou  hast  done  since  I 
have  known  thee,  and  thou  wilt  surely  prosper." 

Friend  Hopper  happened  to  be  present  at  this  in- 
terview; and  he  used  to  say,  many  years  afterward, 
that  he  should  never  forget  how  it  made  his  heart 
glow  to  witness  such  honorable  and  disinterested 
conduct.  The  two  other  fugitives  were  never  heard 
of,  and  Friend  Harrison  of  course  lost  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  dollars.  William  frequently  called 
upon  his  benefactors,  and  always  conducted  in  the 
most  exemplary  manner. 

SARAH   ROACH. 

SARAH  ROACH,  a  light  mulatto,  was  sold  by  her 
master  in  Maryland  to  a  man  residing  in  Delaware. 
The  laws  of  Delaware  prohibit  the  introduction  of 
slaves,  unless  brought  into  the  state  by  persons  in- 
tending to  reside  there  permanently.  If  brought 
under  other  circumstances  they  become  free.  Sarah 
remained  with  her  new  master  several  years  before 
she  was  made  aware  of  this  fact.  Meanwhile,  she 
gave  birth  to  a  daughter,  who  was  of  course  free,  if 
the  mother  was  free  at  the  time  she  was  born.  At 
last,  some  one  informed  the  bondwoman  that  her 
master  had  no  legal  claim  to  her  services.  She  then 
left  him  and  went  to  Philadelphia.  But  she  re- 
mained ignorant  of  the  fact  that  her  daughter  was 


130  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

free,  in  consequence  of  the  universal  maxim  of  slave 
law,  that  "the  child  follows  the  condition  of  the 
mother." 

When  the  girl  was  about  sixteen  years  old,  she 
absconded  from  Delaware,  and  went  to  her  mother, 
who  inquired  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper  what  was  the  best 
method  of  eluding  the  vigilance  of  her  master.  After 
ascertaining  the  circumstances,  he  told  her  that  her 
daughter  was  legally  free,  and  instructed  her  to 
inform  him  in  case  any  person  attempted  to  arrest 
her. 

Her  claimant  soon  discovered  her  place  of  abode, 
and  in  the  summer  of  1806  went  in  pursuit  of  her. 
Being  aware  that  his  claim  had  no  foundation  in  law, 
he  did  not  attempt  to  establish  it  before  any  magis- 
trate, but  seized  the  girl  and  hurried  her  on  board  a 
sloop,  that  lay  near  Spruce-street  wharf,  unloading 
staves.  Fearing  she  would  be  wrested  from  him  by 
the  city  authorities,  he  removed  the  vessel  from  the 
wharf  and  anchored  near  an  island  between  Phila- 
delphia and  New-Jersey.  A  boat  was  placed  along- 
side the  sloop,  into  which  the  cargo  was  unloaded 
and  carried  to  the  wharf  they  had  left. 

The  mother  went  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper  in  .great 
distress,  and  informed  him  of  the  transaction.  He 
immediately  made  application  to  an  alderman,  who 
issued  a  process  to  have  the  girl  brought  before  him. 
Guided  by  two  colored  men,  who  had  followed  her 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  131 

when  she  was  carried  off,  he  immediately  proceeded 
to  the  sloop,  accompanied  by  an  officer.  When  the 
claimant  saw  them  appoaching,  he  went  into  the 
cabin  for  his  gun,  and  threatened  them  with  instant 
death  if  they  came  near  his  vessel.  Friend  Hopper 
quietly  told  the  men  to  go  ahead  and  pay  no  atten- 
tion to  his  threats.  When  they  moored  their  boat 
alongside  of  the  one  into  which  they  were  unloading 
staves,  he  became  very  vociferous,  and  pointing  his 
gun  at  Friend  Hopper's  breast,  swore  he  should  not 
enter  the  vessel. 

He  replied,  "I  have  an  officer  with  me,  and  I  have 
authority  from  a  magistrate  to  bring  before  him  a 
girl  now  in  thy  vessel.  I  think  we  are  prepared  to 
show  that  she  is  free." 

The  man  still  kept  his  gun  pointed,  and  told  them 
to  beware  how  they  attempted  to  come  on  board. 

"If  thou  shouldst  injure  any  person,  it  would  be 
impossible  for  thee  to  escape,"  replied  Friend  Hop- 
per; "for  thou  art  a  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from 
the  Capes,  with  hundreds  of  people  on  the  wharf  to 
witness  thy  deed." 

While  speaking  thus,  he  advanced  toward  him 
until  he  came  near  enough  to  sieze  hold  of  the  gun 
and  turn  it  aside.  The  man  made  a  violent  jerk  to 
wrest  the  weapon  from  him,  and  still  clinging  fast 
hold  of  it  he  was  pulled  on  board.  In  the  scuffle  to 
regain  possession  of  his  gun,  the  man  trod  upou  a 


132  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

roller  on  the  deck,  lost  his  balance,  and  fell  sprawling 
on  his  back.  Friend  Hopper  seized  that  opportunity 
to  throw  the  gun  overboard.  Whereupon,  a  sailor 
near  by  siezed  an  axe  and  came  toward  him  in  a 
great  rage.  Even  if  the  courageous  Quaker  had 
wished  to  escape,  there  was  no  chance  to  do  so. 
He  advanced  to  meet  the  sailor,  and  looking  him 
full  in  the  face  said,  "Thou  foolish  fellow,  dost  thou 
think  to  frighten  me  with  that  axe,  when  thy  com- 
panion could  not  do  it  with  his  gun?  Put  the  axe 
down.  Thou  art  resisting  legal  authority,  and  liable 
to  suffer  severely  for  thy  conduct." 

In  a  short  time  they  became  more  moderate,  but 
denied  that  the  girl  was  on  board.  The  vessel  was 
nearly  emptied  of  her  cargo,  and  Friend  Hopper 
peeping  into  the  hold  found  her  stowed  away  in  a 
remote  part  of  it.  He  brought  her  on  deck  and 
took  her  with  him  into  the  boat,  of  which  his  com- 
panion?, including  the  constable,  had  retained  pos- 
session. 

The  girl  was  uncommonly  handsome,  with  straight 
hair  and  regular  European  features.  No  one  could 
have  guessed  from  her  countenance  that  any  of  her 
remote  ancestors  were  Africans. 

The  claimant  did  not  make  his  appearance  at  the 
alderman's  office.  A  warrant  was  obtained  charging 
him  and  the  sailor  with  having  resisted  an  officer  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duty.  Isaac  T.  Hopper  returned 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  133 

to  the  sloop  with  a  constable  and  brought  the  two 
men  before  a  magistrate  to  answer  to  this  charge. 
They  did  not  attempt  to  deny  the  truth  of  it,  but 
tried  to  excuse  themselves  on  the  plea  that  they  re- 
sisted an  attempt  to  take  away  their  property.  Of 
course,  this  was  of  no  avail,  and  they  were  obliged 
to  enter  into  bonds  for  their  appearance  at  court. 
Being  strangers  in  the  city,  it  was  difficult  to  obtain 
bail,  and  there  seemed  to  be  no  alternative  but  a 
prison.  However,  as  there  must  unavoidably  be 
considerable  trouble  and  delay  in  procuring  all  the 
necessary  evidence  concerning  the  birth  of  the  al- 
leged slave,  her  friends  agreed  to  dismiss  them,  if 
they  would  pay  all  expenses,  give  each  of  the  officers 
five  dollars,  and  manumit  the  girl.  Under  existing 
circumstances,  they  were  glad  to  avail  themselves  of 
the  offer;  and  so  the  affair  was  settled. 

ZEKE. 

A  man  by  .the  name  of  Daniel  Godwin,  in  the 
lower  part  of  Delaware,  made  a  business  of  buying 
slaves  running ;  taking  the  risk  of  losing  the  small 
sums  paid  for  them  under  such  circumstances.  In 
the  year  1806,  he  purchased  in  this  way  a  slave 
named  Ezekiel,  familiarly  called  Zeke.  He  went  to 
Philadelphia,  and  called  on  Isaac  T.  Hopper ;  think- 
ing if  he  knew  where  the  man  was,  he  would  be 
glad  to  have  his  freedom  secured  on  moderate  terms. 


134  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

While  they  were  talking  together,  a  black  man  hap- 
pened to  walk  in,  and  leaning  on  the  counter  looked 
up  in  Mr.  Godwin's  face  all  the  time  he  was  telling 
the  story  of  his  bargain.  When  he  had  done  speak- 
ing, he  said,  "How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Godwin?  Don't 
you  know  me  ?" 

The  speculator  answered  that  he  did  not. 

"Then  you  don't  remember  a  man  that  lived  with 
your  neighbor,  Mr. ?"  continued  he. 

Mr.  Godwin  was  at  first  puzzled  to  recollect  whom 
he  meant ;  but  when  he  had  specified  the  time,  and 
various  other  particulars,  he  said  he  did  remember 
such  a  person. 

"Well,"  answered  the  black  man,  "I  am  he  ;  and 
I  am  Zeke's  brother." 

The  speculator  inquired  whether  he  knew  where 
he  was. 

He  replied,  "O  yes,  Mr.  Godwin,  I  know  where 
he  is,  well  enough.  But  I'm  sorry  you've  bought 
Zeke.  You'll  never  make  anything  out  of  him.  A 
bad  speculation,  Mr.  Godwin." 

"Why,  what's  the  matter  with  Zeke?"  asked  the 
trader. 

"  O,  these  blacks  come  to  Philadelphia  and  they 
get  into  bad  company,"  replied  he.  "They  are 
afraid  to  be  seen  in  the  day-time,  and  so  they  go 
prowling  about  in  the  night.  I'm  very  sorry  you've 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  135 

bought  Zeke.     He'll  never  do  you  one  cent's  worth 
of  good.     A  bad  speculation,  Mr.  Godwin." 

The  prospect  seemed  rather  discouraging,  and  the 
trader  said,  "Come  now,  suppose  you  buy  Zeke 
yourself?  I'll  sell  him  low." 

"If  I  bought  him,  I  should  only  have  to  maintain 
him  into  the  bargain,"  replied  the  black  man.  "He's 
my  brother,  to  be  sure  ;  but  then  he'll  never  be  good 
for  anything." 

"Perhaps  he  would  behave  better  if  he  was  free," 
urged  Mr.  Godwin. 

"  That's  the  only  chance  there  is  of  his  ever  doing 
any  better,"  responded  the  colored  man.  "But  I'm 
very  doubtful  about  it.  If  I  should  make  up  my 
mind  to  give  him  a  chance,  what  would  you  be  will- 
ing to  sell  him  for  ?" 

The  speculator  named  one  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars. 

"Poh!  Poh!"  exclaimed  the  other.  "I  tell  you 
Zeke  will  never  be  worth  a  cent  to  you  or  anybody 
else.  A  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  indeed  !" 

The  parley  continued  some  time  longer,  and  the 
case  seemed  such  a  hopeless  one,  that  Mr.  Godwin 
finally  agreed  to  take  sixty  dollars.  The  colored 
man  went  off,  and  soon  returned  with  the  required 
sum.  Isaac  T.  Hopper  drew  up  a  deed  of  manu- 
mission, in  which  the  purchaser  requested  him  to  in- 
sert that  Zeke  was  now  commonly  called  Samuel 


136  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Johnson.  The  money  was  paid,  and  the  deed  signed 
with  all  necessary  formalities.  When  the  business 
was  entirely  completed,  the  colored  man  said,  "  Zeke 
is  now  free,  is  he  ?"  When  Mr.  Godwin  answered, 
"Yes,"  he  turned  to  Friend  Hopper  and  repeated  the 
question :  "  Zeke  is  free,  and  nobody  can  take  him  ; 
can  they,  Mr.  Hopper  ?  If  he  was  here,  he  would 
be  in  no  danger  ;  would  he  ?" 

Friend  Hopper  replied,  "Wherever  Zeke  may 
now  be,  I  assure  thee  he  is  free." 

Being  thus  assured,  the  black  man  made  a  low 
bow,  and  with  a  droll  expression  of  countenance  said, 
"I  hope  you  are  very  well,  Mr.  Godwin.  I  am  hap- 
py to  see  you,  sir.  I  am  Zeke  !" 

The  speculator,  finding  himself  thus  outwitted, 
flew  into  a  violent  rage.  He  seized  Zeke  by  the 
collar,  and  began  to  threaten  and  abuse  him.  But 
the  colored  man  shook  his  fist  at  him,  and  said,  "If 
you  don't  let  me  go,  Mr.  Godwin,  I'll  knock  you 
down.  I'm  a  free  citizen  of  these  United  States ; 
and  I  won't  be  insulted  in  this  way  by  anybody." 

Friend  Hopper  interfered  between  them,  and  Mr. 
Godwin  agreed  to  go  before  a  magistrate  to  have  the 
case  examined.  When  the  particulars  had  been  re- 
counted, the  magistrate  answered,  "You  have  been 
outwitted,  sir.  Zeke  is  now  as  free  as  any  man  in 
this  room." 

There  was  something  so  exhilarating  in  the  con- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  137 

sciousriess  of  being  his  own  man,  that  Zeke  began 
to  "feel  his  oats," as  the  saying  is.  He  said  to  the 
magistrate,  "May  it  please  your  honor  to  grant  me 
a  warrant  against  Mr.  Godwin  ?  He  violently  seized 
me  by  the  collar ;  thus  committing  assault  and  bat- 
tery on  a  free  citizen  of  these  United  States." 

Friend  Hopper  told  him  he  had  better  be  satisfied 
with  that  day's  work,  and  let  Mr.  Godwin  go  home. 
He  yielded  to  this  expostulation,  though  he  might 
have  made  considerable  trouble  by  insisting  upon 
retaliation. 

POOR  AMY. 

A  Frenchman  named  M.  Bouiila  resided  in  Spring 
Garden,  Philadelphia,  in  the  year  1806.  He  and  a 
woman,  who  had  lived  with  him  some  time,  had  in 
their  employ  a  mulatto  girl  of  nine  years  old,  called 
Amy.  Dreadful  stories  were  in  circulation  concern- 
ing their  cruel  treatment  to  this  child ;  and  compas- 
sionate neighbors  had  frequently  solicited  Friend 
Hopper's  interference.  After  a  while,  he  heard  they 
were  about  to  send  her  into  the  country ;  and  fear- 
ing she  might  be  sold  into  slavery,  he  called  upon 
M.  Bouiila  to  inquire  whither  she  was  going.  As 
soon  as  he  made  known  his  business,  the  door  was 
unceremoniously  slammed  in  his  face  and  locked. 
A  note  was  then  sent  to  the  Frenchman,  asking  for 
a  friendly  interview ;  but  he  returned  a  verbal  an- 
swer. "Tell  Mr.  Hopper  to  mind  his  own  business." 


138  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Considering  it  his  business  to  protect  an  abused 
child,  he  applied  to  a  magistrate  /or  a  warrant,  and 
proceeded  to  the  house,  accompanied  by  his  friend 
Thomas  Harrison  and  a  constable.  As  soon  as  they 
entered  the  door,  M.  Bouilla  ran  up-stairs,  and  arm- 
ing himself  with  a  gun,  threatened  to  shoot  whoever 
advanced  toward  him.  Being  blind,  however,  he  could 
only  point  the  gun  at  random  in  the  direction  of  their 
voices,  or  of  any  noise  which  might  reach  his  ear. 
The  officer  refused  to  attempt  his  arrest  under  such 
peril ;  saying,  he  was  under  no  obligation  to  risk  his 
life.  Friend  Hopper  expostulated  with  the  French- 
man, explained  the  nature  of  their  errand,  and  urged 
him  to  come  down  and  have  the  matter  inquired  into 
in  an  amicable  way.  But  he  would  not  listen,  and 
persisted  in  swearing  he  would  shoot  the  first  person 
who  attempted  to  come  near  him.  At  last,  Friend 
Hopper  took  off  his  shoes,  stepped  up-stairs  very 
softly  and  quickly,  and  just  as  the  Frenchman  be- 
came aware  of  his  near  approach,  he  seized  the  gun 
and  held  it  over  his  shoulder.  It  discharged  instant- 
ly, and  shattered  the  plastering  of  the  stairway,  mak- 
ing it  fly  in  all  directions.  There  arose  a  loud  cry, 
"Mr.  Hopper's  killed  !  Mr.  Hopper's  killed  !" 

The  gun  being  thus  rendered  harmless,  the  French- 
man was  soon  arrested,  and  they  all  proceeded  to  the 
the  magistrate's  office,  accompanied  by  several  of  the 


"'  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  139 

neighbors.  There  was  abundant  evidence  that  the 
child  had  been  half  starved,  unmercifully  beaten,  and 
tortured  in  various  ways.  Indeed,  she  was  such  a 
poor,  emaciated,  miserable  looking  object,  that  her 
appearance  was  of  itself  enough  to  prove  the  cruel 
treatment  she  had  received.  When  the  case  had 
been  fully  investigated,  the  magistrate  ordered  her 
to  be  consigned  to  the  care  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  who 
hastened  home  with  her,  being  anxious  lest  his  wife 
should  accidentally  hear  the  rumor  that  he  had  been 
shot. 

He  afterwards  ascertained  tha^Amy  was  daughter 
of  the  white  woman  who  had  aided  in  thus  shame- 
fully abusing  her.  He  kept  her  in  his  family  till  she 
became  well  and  strong,  and  then  bound  her  to  one 
of  his  friends  in  the  country  to  serve  till  she  was 
eighteen.  She  grew  up  a  very  pretty  girl,  and  de- 
ported herself  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  family. 
When  her  period  of  service  had  expired,  she  returned 
to  Philadelphia,  where  her  conduct  continued  very 
exemplary.  She  frequently  called  to  see  Friend 
Hopper,  and  often  expressed  gratitude  to  him  for 
having  rescued  her  from  such  a  miserable  condition. 

MANUEL. 

Manuel  was  an  active,  intelligent  slave  in  North 
Carolina.  His  master,  Mr.  Joseph  Spear,  a  tar 
manufacturer,  employed  him  to  transport  tar,  and 


140  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

other  produce  of  the  place,  down  Tar  river  to  Tar- 
borough.  After  laboring  several  years  for  another's 
benefit,  Manuel  began  to  feel  anxious  to  derive  some 
advantage  from  his  own  earnings.  He  had  children, 
and  it  troubled  him  to  think  that  they  must  live  and 
die  in  slavery.  He  was  acquainted  with  a  colored 
man  in  the  neighborhood,  named  Samuel  Curtis,  who 
had  a  certificate  of  freedom  drawn  up  by  the  clerk 
of  the  county,  and  duly  authenticated,  with  the 
county  seal  attached  to  it.  Manuel  thought  he  could 
easily  pass  for  Samuel  Curtis,  and  make  his  way  to 
Philadelphia,  if  he  could  only  obtain  possession  of 
this  valuable  paper.  He  accordingly  made  him  a 
confidant  of  his  plans,  and  he  bought  the  certificate 
for  two  dollars. 

The  next  time  Manuel  was  sent  to  Tarborough, 
he  delivered  the  cargo  as  usual,  then  left  the  boat 
and  started  for  the  North.  He  arrived  safely  in 
Philadelphia,  where  he  assumed  the  name  of  Samuel 
Curtis,  and  earned  a  living  by  sweeping  chimneys. 
In  a  short  time,  he  had  several  boys  in  his  employ, 
and  laid  by  money.  When  he  had  been  going  on 
thus  for  about  two  years,  he  was  suddenly  met  in  the 
street  by  one  of  the  neighbors  of  his  old  master,  who 
immediately  arrested  him  as  a  fugitive  from  slavery. 
He  was  taken  before  Robert  Wharton,  then  mayor. 
The  stranger  declared  that  the  colored  man  he  had 
seized  was  a  slave,  belonging  to  one  of  his  near 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  141 

neighbors  in  North  Carolina.  Samuel  denied  that 
he  was  a  slave,  and  showed  his  certificate  of  free- 
dom. The  stranger  admitted  that  the  document  was 
authentic,  but  he  insisted  that  the  real  name  of  the 
person  who  had  possession  of  the  paper  was  Manuel. 
He  said  he  knew  him  perfectly  well,  and  also  knew 
Samuel  Curtis,  who  was  a  free  colored  man  in  his 
neighborhood.  The  mayor  decided  that  he  could 
not  receive  parole  evidence  in  contradiction  to  a  pub- 
lic record ;  and  Samuel  Curtis  was  set  at  liberty. 

To  the  honor  of  this  worthy  magistrate  be  it  re- 
corded that  during  forty  years  whilst  he  was  alder- 
man in  Philadelphia,  and  twenty  years  that  he 
was  mayor,  he  never  once  surrendered  a  fugitive 
slave  to  his  claimant,  though  frequently  called  upon 
to  do  so.  He  used  to  tell  Friend  Hopper  that  he 
could  not  conscientiously  do  it ;  that  he  would  rather 
resign  his  office.  He  often  remarked  that  the  De- 
claration, "All  men  are  created  equal ;  they  are  en- 
dowed by  their  Creator  with  certain  inalienable 
rights  ;  among  these  are  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit 
of  happiness ;"  appeared  to  him  based  on  a  sacred 
principle,  paramount  to  all  law. 

When  Samuel  Curtis  was  discharged,  he  deemed 
it  expedient  to  go  to  Boston ;  thinking  he  might  be 
safer  there  than  in  Philadelphia.  But  he  had  not 
been  there  many  days,  before  he  met  the  same  man 
who  had  previously  arrested  him ;  and  he  by  no 


142  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

means  felt  sure  that  the  mayor  of  that  city  would 
prove  as  friendly  to  the  colored  people  as  was  Robert 
Wharton.  To  add  to  his  troubles,  some  villain  broke 
open  his  trunk  while  he  was  absent  from  his  lodg- 
ings, and  stole  a  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  of  his  hard 
earnings.  The  poor  fugitive  began  to  think  there 
was  no  safe  resting-place  for  him  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  He  returned  to  Philadelphia  disconsolate 
and  anxious.  He  was  extremely  diligent  and  frugal, 
and  every  year  he  contrived  to  save  some  money, 
which  he  put  out  at  interest  in  safe  hands.  At  last, 
he  was  able  to  purchase  a  small  lot  in  Powell-street, 
on  which  he  built  a  good  three-story  brick  house, 
where  he  lived  with  his  apprentices,  and  let  some  of 
the  rooms  at  a  good  profit. 

In  1807,  he  called  upon  Friend  Hopper  and  told 
him  that  his  eagerness  to  make  money  had  chiefly 
arisen  from  a  strong  desire  to  redeem  his  children 
from  bondage.  But  being  a  slave  himself,  he  said  it 
was  impossible  for  him  to  go  in  search  of  them,  un- 
less his  own  manumission  could  be  obtained.  It 
happened  that  a  friend  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper  was  go- 
ing to  North  Carolina.  He  agreed  to  see  the  master 
and  ascertain  what  could  be  done.  Mr.  Spear  never 
expected  to  hear  from  his  slave  again,  and  the  propo- 
sition to  buy  him  after  so  many  years  had  elapsed, 
seemed  like  finding  a  sum  of  money.  He  readily 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  143 

agreed  to  make  out  a  bill  of  sale  for  one  hundred 
dollars,  which  was  immediately  paid. 

The  first  use  Samuel  Curtis  made  of  the  freedom 
he  had  purchased  was  to  set  off  for  the  South  in 
search  of  his  children.  To  protect  himself  as  much 
,  as  possible  from  the  perils  of  such  an  undertaking, 
he  obtained  a  certificate  of  good  character,  signed  by 
the  mayor  of  Philadelphia,  and  several  of  the  most 
respectable  citizens.  They  also  gave  him  "a  pass" 
stating  the  object  of  his  journey,  and  commending 
him  to  the  protecting  kindness  of  those  among  whom 
he  might  find  it  necessary  to  travel.  With  these  he 
carefully  packed  his  deed  of  manumission,  and  set 
forth  on  his  errand  of  paternal  love.  When  he  went 
to  take  leave  of  Friend  Hopper,  he  was  much  agitat- 
ed. He  clasped  his  hand  fervently,  and  the  tears 
flowed  fast  down  his  weather-beaten  cheeks.  "I 
know  I  am  going  into  the  midst  of  danger,"  said  he. 
"Perhaps  I  maybe  seized  and  sold  into  slavery. 
But  I  am  willing  to  hazard  everything,  even  my  own 
liberty,  if  I  can  only  secure  the  freedom  of  my  chil- 
dren. I  have  been  a  slave  myself,  and  I  know  what 
slaves  suffer.  Farewell !  Farewell,  my  good  friend. 
May  God  bless  you,  and  may  he  restore  to  me  my 
children.  Then  I  shall  be  a  happy  man." 

He  started  on  his  journey,  and  went  directly  to 
his  former  master  to  obtain  information.  He  did  not 
at  first  recognize  his  old  servant.  But  when  he  be- 


144  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

came  convinced  that  the  person  before  him  was  the 
identical  Manuel,  who  had  formerly  been  his  slave, 
he  seemed  pleased  to  see  him,  entertained  him  kind- 
ly, and  inquired  how  he  had  managed  to  get  money 
enough  to  buy  his  children. 

The  real  Samuel  Curtis,  who  sold  him  the  certifi- 
cate of  freedom,  was  dead ;  and  since  he  could  no 
longer  be  endangered  by  a  statement  of  particulars, 
the  spurious  Samuel  related  the  whole  story  of  his 
escape,  and  of  his  subsequent  struggles ;  concluding 
the  whole  by  expressing  an  earnest  wish  to  find  his 
children. 

Mr.  Spear  had  sold  them,  some  years  before,  to  a 
man  in  South  Carolina  ;  and  thither  the  father  went 
in  search  of  them.  On  arriving  at  the  designated 
place,  he  found  .they  had  been  sold  into  Georgia. 
He  went  to  Georgia,  and  was  told  they  had  been 
sold  to  a  man  in  Tennessee.  He  followed  them  into 
Tennessee,  but  there  he  lost  all  track  of  them.  Af- 
ter the  most  patient  and  diligent  search,  he  was 
compelled  to  return  home  without  further  tidings  of 
them. 

As  soon  as  he  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  he  went  to 
Isaac  T.  Hopper  to  tell  how  the  cherished  plan  of  his 
life  had  been  frustrated.  He  seemed  greatly  deject- 
ed, and  wept  bitterly.  "I  have  deprived  myself  of 
almost  every  comfort,"  said  he;  "that  I  might  save 
money  to  buy  my  poor  children.  But  now  they  are 


LFFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  145 

not  lo  be  found,  and  my  money  gives  me  no  satis- 
faction. The  only  consolation  I  have  is  the  hope 
that  they  are  all  dead." 

The  bereaved  old  man  never  afterward  seemed  to 
take  comfort  in  anything.  He  sunk,  into  a  settled 
melancholy,  and  did  not  long  survive  his  disappoint- 
ment. 

SLAVEHOLDERS  MOLLIFIED. 

IN  the  winter  of  1808,  several  Virginia  planters 
went  to  Philadelphia  to  search  for  eleven  slaves,  who 
had  absconded.  Most  of  these  colored  people  had 
been  there  several  years,  and  some  of  them  had  ac- 
quired a  little  property.  Their  masters  had  ascer- 
tained where  they  lived,  and  one  evening,  when  they 
returned  from  their  acustomed  labors,  unconscious 
of  danger  impending  over  them,  they  were  pounced 
upon  suddenly  and  conveyed  to  prison.  It  was  late 
at  night  Avhen  this  took  place,  and  Friend  Hopper 
did  not  hear  of  it  till  the  next  morning. 

He  had  risen  very  early,  according  to  his  usual 
custom,  and  upon  opening  his  front  door  he  found  a 
letter  slipped  under  it,  addressed  to  him.  This 
anonymous  epistle  informed  him  that  eleven  slaves 
had  been  arrested,  and  were  to  be  tried  before  Al- 
derman Douglass  that  morning ;  that  the  owners 
were  gentlemen  of  wealth  and  high  standing,  and 
could  produce  the  most  satisfactory  evidence  that 


146  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

the  persons  arrested  were  their  slaves  ;  consequently 
Friend  Hopper's  attendance  could  be  of  no  possible 
benefit  to  them.  It  went  on  to  say  that  the  magis- 
trate understood  his  business,  and  could  do  justice 
without  his  assistance ;  but  if,  notwithstanding  this 
warning,  he  did  attend  at  the  magistrate's  office,  for 
the  purpose  of  wresting  from  these  gentlemen  their 
property,  his  house  would  be  burned  while  himself 
and  family  were  asleep  in  it,  and  his  life  would  cer- 
tainly be  taken.  The  writer  invoked  the  most  aw- 
ful imprecations  upon  himself  if  he  did  not  carry 
these  threats  into  execution. 

Friend  Hopper  was  too  much  accustomed  to  such 
epistles  to  be  disturbed  by  them.  He  put  it  in  his 
pocket,  and  said  nothing  about  it,  lest  his  wife  should 
be  alarmed.  A  few  minutes  afterward,  he  received 
a  message  from  some  colored  people  begging  him  to 
go  to  the  assistance  of  the  fugitives ;  and  when  the 
trial  came  on,  he  was  at  the  alderman's  office,  of 
course.  Richard  Rush  was  counsel  for  the  claim- 
ants. The  colored  prisoners  had  no  lawyer.  This 
examination  was  carried  on  with  much  earnestness 
and  excitement.  One  of  the  Virginians  failed  in 
proof  as  to  the  identity  of  the  person  he  claimed.  In 
the  case  of  several  others,  the  power  of  attorney  was 
pronounced  informal  by  the  magistrate.  After  a 
long  protracted  controversy,  during  which  Friend 
Hopper  threw  as  many  difficulties  in  the  way  as 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  147 

possible,  it  was  decided  that  four  of  the  persons  in 
custody  were  proved  to  be  slaves,  and  the  other 
seven  were  discharged.  This  decision  greatly  exas 
perated  the  Southerners,  and  they  vented  their  anger 
in  very  violent  expressions.  The  constables  em- 
ployed were  unprincipled  men,  ready  for  any  low 
business,  provided  it  were  profitable.  The  man-hun- 
ters had  engaged  to  give  them  fifty  dollars  for  each 
slave  they  were  enabled  to  take  back  to  Virginia ; 
but  they  were  to  receive  nothing  for  those  who  were 
discharged.  Hence,  their  extreme  anxiety  to  avoid 
Friend  Hopper's  interference.  When  they  found 
that  more  than  half  of  their  destined  prey  had  slip- 
ped through  their  fingers,  they  were  furious.  One 
of  them  especially  raved  like  a  madman.  He  had 
written  the  anonymous  letter,  and  was  truly  "  a  lewd 
fellow  of  the  baser  sort." 

Friend  Hopper's  feelings  were  too  much  interested 
for  those  who  had  been  decreed  slaves,  to  think  any- 
thing of  the  abuse  bestowed  on  himself.  All  of 
them,  three  men  and  one  woman,  were  married  to 
free  persons  ;  and  it  was  heart-breaking  to  hear  their, 
lamentations  at  the  prospect  of  being  separated  for- 
ever. There  was  a  general  manifestation  of  sympa- 
thy,-and  even  the  slaveholders  were  moved  to  com- 
passion. Friend  Hopper  opened  a  negotiation  with 
them  in  behalf  of  the  Abolition  Society,  and  they 
finally  consented  to  manumit  them  all  for  seven  Turn- 


148  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

dred  dollars.  The  money  was  advanced  by  a  Friend 
named  Thomas  Phipps,  and  the  poor  slaves  returned 
to  their  humble  homes  rejoicing.  They  repaid  every 
farthing  of  the  money,  and  ever  after  manifested  the 
liveliest  gratitude  to  their  benefactors. 

When  the  anger,  of  the  Southerners  had  somewhat 
cooled,  Friend  Hopper  invited  them  to  come  and  see 
him.  They  called,  and  spent  the  evening  in  discuss- 
ing the  subject  of  slavery.  When  they  parted  from 
the  veteran  abolitionist,  it  was  with  mutual  courtesy 
and  kindliness.  They  said  they  respected  him  for 
acting  so  consistently  with  his  own  principles  ;  and 
if  they  held  the  same  opinions,  they  should  doubtless 
pursue  the  same  course. 

This  wras  a  polite  concession,  but  it  was  based  on 
a  false  foundation ;  for  it  assumed  that  it  was  a 
mere  matter  of  opinion  whether  slavery  were  right 
or  wrong ;  whereas  it  is  a  palpable  violation  of  im- 
mutable principles  of  justice.  They  might  as  well 
have  made  the  same  remark  about  murder  or  rob- 
bery, if  they  had  lived  where  a  selfish  majority  were 
strong  enough  to  get  those  crimes  sanctioned  by  law 
and  custom.  The  Bedouin  considers  himself  no  rob- 
ber because  he  forcibly  takes  as  much  toll  as  he 
pleases  from  all  who  pass  through  the  desert.  His 
ancestors  established  the  custom,  and  he  is  not  one 
whit  the  less  an  Arab  gentleman,  because  he  perpe- 
tuates their  peculiar  institution.  Perhaps  he  also 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  149 

would  say  that  if  he  held  the  same  opinions  as  more 
honest  Mahometans,  he  would  do  as  they  do.  In 
former  days,  custom  made  it  honorable  to  steal  a 
neighbor's  cattle,  on  the  Scottish  border ;  as  many 
Americans  now  deem  it  respectable  to  take  children 
from  poor  defenceless  neighbors,  and  sell  them  like 
sheep  in  the  market.  Sir  Walter  Scott  says  play- 
fully, "I  have  my  quarters  and  emblazonments  free 
of  all  stain  but  Border  Theft  and  High  Treason, 
which  I  hope  are  gentlemanlike  crimes."  Yet  the 
stealing  of  cattle  does  not  now  seem  a  very  noble 
achievement  in  the  eyes  of  honorable  Scotchmen 
How  will  the  stealing  of  children,  within  bounds 
prescribed  by  law  and  custom,  appear  to  future  gene- 
rations of  Americans  ? 

THE  UNITED  STATES  BOND. 

A  planter  in  Virginia,  being  pressed  for  money, 
sold  one  of  his  bondwomen,  of  sixteen  years  old,  to 
a  speculator  who  was  buying  up  slaves  for  the  mar- 
kets of  the  South  and  South-west.  The  girl  was 
uncommonly  handsome,  with  smooth  hair,  and  a 
complexion  as  light  as  most  white  people.  Her  new 
owner,  allured  by  her  beauty,  treated  her  with  great 
kindness,  and  made  many  flattering  promises.  She 
understood  his  motives,  and  wished  to  escape  from 
the  degradation  of  such  a  destiny  as  he  had  in  store 
for  her.  In  order  to  conciliate  her  good  will,  he  im- 


150  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

posed  lew  restraints  upon  her.  The  liberty  thus  al- 
lowed gave  her  a  favorable  opportunity  to  abscond, 
which  she  did  not  fail  to  improve.  She  travelled  to 
Philadelphia  without  encountering  any  difficulties  on 
the  road ;  for  her  features  and  complexion  excited 
no  suspicion  of  her  being  a  fugitive  slave.  She  main- 
tained herself  very  comfortably  by  her  own  industry, 
and  after  a  time  married  a  light  mulatto,  who  was  a 
very  sober  industrious  man.  He  was  for  many  years 
employed  by  Joshua  Humphreys,  a  ship-carpenter  of 
great  respectability  in  the  District  of  Southwark. 
By  united  industry  and  frugality  they  were  enabled 
to  build  a  small  house  on  a  lot  they  had  taken  on 
ground  rent.  The  furniture  was  simple,  but  ex- 
tremely neat,  and  all  the  floors  were  carpeted.  Eve- 
ry thing  indicated  good  management  and  domestic 
comfort. 

She  had  been  in  Philadelphia  thirteen  years,  and 
was  the  mother  ol  a  promising  family,  when  in  1808  she 
was  arrested  by  her  last  master,  as  a  fugitive  slave. 
The  Virginian  who  sold  her,  and  two  other  persons 
from  the  South,  attended  as  witnesses.  Isaac  T. 
Hopper  also  attended,  with  his  trusty  friend  Thomas 
Harrison.  When  the  witnesses  were  examined,  her 
case  appeared  utterly  hopeless  ;  and  in  private  con- 
versation with  Friend  Hopper  she  admitted  that  she 
was  a  slave  to  the  man  who  claimed  her.  Mr.  Hum- 
phreys, pitying  the  distress  of  his  honest,  industrious 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  151 

workman,  offered  to  advance  one  hundred  dollars 
toward  purchasing  her  freedom.  But  when  Isaac 
T.  Hopper  and  Thomas  Harrison  attempted  to  nego 
tiate  with  the  claimant  for  that  purpose,  he  treated 
all  their  offers  with  the  rudest  contempt.  They  tried 
to  work  upon  his  feelings,  by  representing  the  misery 
he  would  inflict  on  her  worthy  husband  and  innocent 
children  ;  but  he  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  all  their  entrea- 
ties. They  finally  offered  to  pay  him  four  hundred 
dollars  for  a  deed  of  manumission,  which  at  that 
time  was  considered  a  very  high  price  ;  but  he  stop- 
ped all  further  discussion  by  declaring,  with  a  vio- 
lent oath,  that  he  would  not  sell  her  on  any  terms. 
Of  course,  there  was  nothing  to  be  done,  but  to 
await  the  issue  of  the  trial. 

When  the  magistrate  asked  the  woman  whether 
she  were  a  slave,  Friend  Hopper  promptly  objected 
to  her  answering  that  question,  unless  he  would  agree 
to  receive  as  evidence  all  she  might  say.  He  de- 
clined doing  that.  Friend  Hopper  then  made  some 
remarks,  in  the  course  of  which  he  said,  "The most 
honest  witnesses  are  often  mistaken  as  to  the  identi- 
ty of  persons.  It  surprises  me  that  the  witnesses  in 
this  case  should  be  so  very  positive,  when  the  wo- 
man was  but  sixteen  years  old  at  the  time  they  say 
she  eloped,  and  such  a  long  period  has  since  elapsed. 

The  question  at  stake  is  as  important  as  life  itself 
to  this  woman,  to  her  honest  husband,  and  to  her 


152          LIFE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 

poor  little  innocent  children.  For  my  own  part,  1 
conscientiously  believe  she  has  a  just  claim  to  her 
freedom." 

All  this  time,  the  woman  stood  holding  her  little 
girl  and  boy  by  the  hand.  She  was  deeply  dejected, 
but  her  manners  were  as  calm  and  dignified,  as  if 
she,  had  been  one  of  the  best  educated  ladies  in  the 
land.  The  children  were  too  young  to  understand 
the  terrible  doom  that  threatened  their  mother,  but 
they  perceived  that  their  parents  were  in  some  great 
trouble,  and  the  little  creatures  wept  in  sympathy. 

When  Friend  Hopper  described  this  scene  forty 
years  afterward,  he  used  to  say,  "T  shall  never  for- 
get the  anguish  expressed  in  her  handsome  counte- 
nance, as  she  looked  down  upon  her  children.  I  see 
it  as  plainly  as  if  it  all  happened  yesterday." 

At  the  time,  it  was  almost  too  much  for  his  sym- 
pathizing heart  to  endure.  He  felt  like  moving  hea- 
ven and  earth  to  rescue  her.  The  trial  came  on  in 
the  afternoon,  and  it  happened  that  the  presiding 
magistrate  was  accustomed  to  drink  rather  freely  of 
wine  after  dinner.  Friend  Hopper  perceived  that 
his  mental  faculties  were  slightly  confused,  and  that 
the  claimant  was  a  heavy,  stupid-looking  fellow. 
With  these  thoughts  there  suddenly  flashed  through 
his  brain  the  plan  of  eluding  an  iniquitous  law,  in 
order  to  sustain  a  higher  law  of  justice  and  humani- 
ty. He  asked  to  have  the  case  adjourned  till  the 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  153 

next  day,  that  there  might  be  further  opportunity  to 
inquire  into  it ;  adding,  "Thomas  Harrison  and  my- 
self will  be  responsible  to  the  United  States  for  this 
woman's  appearance  to-morrow.  In  case  of  forfei- 
ture, we  will  agree  to  pay  any  sum  that  may  be 
deemed  reasonable." 

The  claimant  felt  perfectly  sure  of  his  prey,  and 
made  no  objection  to  the  proposed  arrangement.  It 
was  accordingly  entered  on  the  docket  that  Thomas 
Harrison  and  Isaac  T.  Hopper  were  bound  to  the 
United  States,  in  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars,  to 
produce  the  woman  for  further  trial  at  nine  o'clock 
the  next  morning. 

When  Friend  Hopper  had  obtained  a  copy  of  the 
recognizance,  signed  by  the  magistrate,  he  chuckled 
inwardly  and  marched  out  of  the  office.  If  there 
was  a  flaw  in  anything,  Thomas  Harrison  had  a  jo- 
cose way  of  saying,  "There  is  a  hole  in  the  ballad." 
As  they  went  into  the  street  together,  his  friend  said, 
"Thomas,  there's  a  hole  in  the  ballad.  The  recog- 
nizance we  have  just  signed  is  good  for  nothing. 
The  United  States  have  not  the  slightest  claim  upon 
that  woman." 

The  next  morning,  at  nine  o'clock  all  parties,  ex- 
cept the  woman,  wrere  at  the  mayor's  office.  After 
waiting  for  her  about  an  hour,  the  magistrate  said, 
"Well  gentlemen,  the  woman  does  not  make  her 


154  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

appearance,  and  I  shall  be  obliged  to  forfeit  your 
recognizance." 

"A  thousand  dollars  is  a  large  sum  to  lose,"  re- 
joined Friend  Hopper.  "But  if  it  comes  to  the 
worst,  I  suppose  we  must  make  up  our  minds  to  pay 
the  United  States  all  the  claim  they  have  upon  us." 

"The  United  States!     The  United  States  !"  ex 
claimed  the  magistrate  quickly.     He  turned  to  look 
at  his  docket,  and  after  a  slight  pause  he  said  to  the 
claimant,  "  There  is  difficulty  here.     You  had  better 
employ  counsel." 

Thomas  Ross,  a  respectable  lawyer,  who  h'ved  a 
few  doors  above,  was  summoned,  and  soon  made  his 
appearance.  Having  heard  the  particulars  of  the 
case  briefly  stated,  he  also  examined  the  docket ; 
then  turning  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  with  a  comical  ges- 
ture and  tone,  he  exclaimed,  "Eh  !"  To  the  claim- 
ant he  said,  "  You  must  catch  your  slave  again  if 
you  can  ;  for  you  can  do  nothing  with  these  securi- 
ties." 

Of  course,  the  master  was  very  angry,  and  so  was 
the  magistrate,  who  had  inadvertently  written  the 
recognizance  just  as  it  was  dictated  to  him.  They 
charged  Friend  Hopper  with  playing  a  trick  upon 
them,  and  threatened  to  prosecute  him.  He  told 
them  he  had  no  fears  concerning  a  prosecution  ;  and 
if  he  had  played  a  trick,  he  thought  it  was  better 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  155 

than  to  see  a  helpless  woman  torn  from  husband  and 
children  and  sent  into  slavery. 

The  magistrate  asked,  "How  could  you  say  you 
believed  the  woman  had  a  right  to  her  freedom? 
You  have  brought  forward  no  evidence  whatever  to 
prove  your  assertion." 

He  replied,  "  I  did  not  say  I  believed  she  had  a 
Legal  right  to  her  freedom.  That  she 'had  a,  just 
right  to  it,  I  did  believe ;  for  I  think  every  human 
being  has  a  just  claim  to  freedom,  unless  guilty  of 
some  crime.  The  system  of  slavery  is  founded  on 
the  grossest  and  most  manifest  injustice." 

"It  is  sanctioned  by  the  law  of  the  land,  answered 
the  claimant ;  "  and  you  have  no  right  to  fly  in  the 
face  of  the  laws." 

Friend  Hopper  contented  himself  with  saying,  "If 
I  have  broken  any  law,  I  stand  ready  to  meet  the 
consequences.  But  no  law  can  make  wrong  right." 

The  speculator  spent  several  days  in  fruitless 
search  after  the  fugitive.  When  he  had  relinquished 
all  hopes  of  rinding  her,  he  called  on  Isaac  T.  Hop- 
per and  offered  to  manumit  her  for  four  hundred  dol- 
lars. He  replied,  "At  one  time,  we  would  gladly 
have  given  that  sum ;  but  now  the  circumstances  of 
the  case  are  greatly  changed,  and  we  cannot  consent 
to  give  half  that  amount."  After  considerable  con- 
troversy he  finally  agreed  to  take  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars.  The  money  was  paid,  and  the  deed  of 


156  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

manumission  made  out  in  due  form.  At  parting,  the 
claimant  said,  with  a  very  bitter  smile,  "I  hope  I 
may  live  to  see  you  south  of  the  Potomac  some 
day." 

Friend  Hopper  replied,  "Thou  hadst  better  go 
home  and  repent  of  sins  already  committed,  instead 
of  meditating  the  commission  of  more." 

When  telling  this  story  in  after  years,  he  was 
wont  to  say,  "  I  am  aware  that  some  will  disapprove 
of  the  part  I  acted  in  that  case ;  because  they  will 
regard  it  as  inconsistent  with  the  candor  which  men 
ought  always  to  practice  toward  each  other. .  I  can 
only  say  that  my  own  conscience  has  never  con- 
demned me  for  it.  I  could  devise  no  other  means  to 
save  the  poor  victim." 

Before  we  decide  to  blame  Friend  Hopper  more 
than  he  blamed  himself  in  this  matter,  it  would  be 
well  to  imagine  how  we  ourselves  should  have  felt,  if 
we  had  been  witnesses  of  the  painful  scene,  instead 
of  reading  it  in  cool  blood,  after  a  lapse  of  years.  If 
a  handsome  and  modest  woman  stood  before  us  with 
her  weeping  little  ones,  asking  permission  to  lead  a 
quiet  and  virtuous  life,  and  a  pitiless  law  was  about 
to  tear  her  from  husband  and  children  and  consig 
her  to  the  licentious  tyrant  from  whom  she  had  es 
caped,  should  we  not  be  strongly  tempted  to  evade 
such  a  law  by  any  means  that  offered  at  the  mo- 
ment ? 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  157 

It  would  be  wiser  to  expend  our  moral  indignation 
on  statesmen  who  sanction  and  sustain  laws  so  wick- 
ed, that  just  and  kind-hearted  citizens  are  compelled 
either  to  elude  them,  or  to  violate  their  own  honest 
convictions  and  the  best  emotions  of  their  hearts. 

THE  TENDER  MERCIES  OF  A  SLAVE- 
HOLDER. 

In  the  year  of  1808  a  Southerner  arrested  a  fugi- 
tive slave  in  Philadelphia  and  committed  him  to  pri- 
son. When  he  called  for  him,  with  authority  to 
take  him  back  to  the  South,  the  poor  fellow  seemed 
dreadfully  distressed.  He  told  the  keeper  that  his 
master  was  very  severe,  and  he  knew  that  terrible 
sufferings  awaited  him  if  he  was  again  placed  in  his 
power.  He  hesitated  long  before  he  followed  the 
keeper  to  the  iron  gate,  through  which  he  was  to 
pass  out  of  prison.  When  he  saw  his  oppressor 
standing  there  with  fetters  in  his  hand,  ready  to  take 
him  away,  he  stopped  and  pleaded  in  the  most  pite- 
ous tones  for  permission  to  find  a  purchaser  in  Phila- 
delphia. His  owner  took  not  the  slightest  notice  of 
these  humble  entreaties,  but  in  a  peremptory  manner 
ordered  him  to  come  out.  The  slave  trembled  all 
over,  and  said  in  the  fainting  accents  of  despair, 
"  Master,  I  can't  go  with  you  !" 

"  Come  out,  you  black  rascal !"  exclaimed  the  in 
exorable  tyrant.     "  Come  out  immediately  !" 


158  LIFE    OF    ISAAC  T.    HOPPER. 

The  poor  wretch  advanced  timidly  a  few  steps, 
then  turned  back  suddenly,  as  if  overcome  with  mor- 
tal fear.  The  master  became  very  impatient,  and  in 
angry  vociferous  tones  commanded  the  keeper  to 
bring  him  out  by  force. 

All  this  time,  the  keeper  had  stood  with  his  hand 
on  the  key  of  the  iron  door,  very  reluctant  to  open 
it.  But  at  last  he  unlocked  it,  and  told  the  poor  ter- 
rified creature  that  he  must  go.  He  rushed  to  the 
door  in  the  frenzy  of  desperation,  gazed  in  his  mas- 
ter's face  for  an  instant,  then  flew  back,  took  a  sharp 
knife,  which  he  had  concealed  about  him,  and  drew 
it  across  his  throat  with  such  force,  that  he  fell 
senseless  near  his  master's  feet,  spattering  his  gar- 
ments with  blood.  All  those  who  witnessed  this 
awful  scene,  supposed  the  man  was  dead.  Dr. 
Church,  physician  of  the  prison,  examined  the  wound, 
and  said  there  was  scarcely  a  possibility  that  he 
could  survive,  though  the  wind-pipe  was  not  entirely 
separated.  But  even  the  terrible  admonition  of  that 
ghastly  spectacle  produced  no  relenting  feelings  in 
the  hard  heart  of  the  slaveholder.  He  still  demand- 
ed to  have  his  victim  delivered  up  to  him.  When 
the  keeper  declined  doing  it,  and  urged  the  reason 
that  the  physician  said  he  could  not  be  moved  with- 
out imminent  danger  to  his  life,  the  brutal  tyrant  ex- 
claimed, "  Damn  him  !  He's  my  property ;  and  I 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  159 

will  have  him,  dead  or  alive.     If  he  dies,  it's  no- 
body's loss  but  mine." 

As  he  had  the  mayor's  warrant  for  taking  him, 
the  keeper  dared  not  incur  the  responsibility  of  diso- 
beying his  requisitions.  He  convened  the  inspectors 
for  consultation ;  and  they  all  agreed  that  any  at- 
tempt to  remove  the  wounded  man  would  render 
them  accessory  to  his  death.  They  laid  the  case 
before  the  mayor,  who  ordered  that  the  prisoner 
should  remain  undisturbed  till  the  physician  pro- 
nounced him  out  of  danger.  When  the  master  was 
informed  of  this,  he  swore  that  nobody  had  any  right 
to  interfere  between  him  and  his  property.  He  curs- 
ed the  mayor,  threatened  to  prosecute  the  keeper, 
and  was  in  a  furious  rage  with  every  body. 

Meanwhile,  the  sympathy  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper  was 
strongly  excited  in  the  case,  and  he  obtained  a  pro- 
mise from  the  physician  that  he  would  let  him  know 
if  there  was  any  chance  that  the  slave  would  recov- 
er. Contrary  to  all  expectation,  he  lingered  along 
day  after  day ;  and  in  about  a  week,  the  humane 
physician  signified  to  Friend  Hopper,  and  Joseph 
Price,  one  of  the  inspectors,  that  a  favorable  result 
might  now  be  anticipated.  Of  course,  none  of  them 
considered  it  a  duty  to  inform  the  master  of  their 
hopes.  They  undertook  to  negotiate  for  the  pur- 
chase of  the  prisoner,  and  obtained  him  for  a  mode- 
rate price.  The  owner  was  fully  impressed  with  the 


160  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

belief  that  he  would  die  before  long,  and  therefore 
regarded  the  purchase  of  him  as  a  mere  freak  of  hu- 
manity, by  which  he  was  willing  enough  to  profit. 
When  he  heard  soon  afterward  that  the  doctor  pro- 
nounced him  out  of  danger,  he  was  greatly  enraged. 
But  his  suffering  victim  was  beyond  the  reach  of  his 
fury,  which  vented  itself  in  harmless  execrations.  \ 
The  colored  man  lived  many  years,  to  enjoy  the 
liberty  for  which  he  had  been  willing  to  sacrifice  his 
life.  He  was  a  sober,  honest,  simple-hearted  person, 
and  always  conducted  in  a  manner  entirely  satis- 
factory to  those  who  had  befriended  him  in  his  hour 
of  utmost  need. 

THE  FOREIGN  SLAVE. 

Early  in  the  year  of  1808,  a  Frenchman  arrived 
in  Philadelphia  from  one  of  the  West  India  Islands, 
bringing  with  him  a  slave,  whom  he  took  before  one 
of  the  aldermen,  and  had  him  bound  to  serve  him 
seven  years  in  Virginia.  When  the  indenture  was 
executed,  he  committed  his  bondman  to  prison,  for 
safe-keeping,  until  he  was  ready  to  leave  the  city. 
One  of  the  keepers  informed  Isaac  T.  Hopper  of  the 
circumstance,  and  told  him  the  slave  was  to  be  car- 
ried South  the  next  morning. 

Congress  had  passed  an  Act  prohibiting  the  im- 
portation of  slaves,  which  was  to  begin  to  take  effect 
at  the  commencement  of  the  year  1808.  It  imme- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  161 

diately  occurred  to  Friend  Hopper  that  the  present 
case  came  within  the  act ;  and  if  so,  the  colored 
man  was  of  course  legally  entitled  to  freedom.  In 
order  to  detain  him  till  he  could  examine  the  law, 
and  take  advice  on  the  subject,  he  procured  a  war- 
rant for  debt  and  lodged  it  at  the  prison,  telling  the 
keeper  not  to  let  the  colored  man  go  till  he  had  paid 
his  demand  of  a  hundred  dollars. 

When  the  Frenchman  called  for  his  slave  next 
morning,  they  refused  to  discharge  him  ;  and  he  ob- 
tained a  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  to  bring  the  case  be- 
fore the  mayor's  court.  Friend  Hopper  was  informed 
that  the  slave  was  on  trial,  that  the  Recorder  did  not 
think  it  necessary  to  notify  him,  and  had  made  very 
severe  remarks  concerning  the  fictitious  debt  assum- 
ed for  the  occasion.  He  proceeded  directly  to  the 
court,  which  was  thronged  with  people,  who  watched 
him  with  lively  curiosity,  and  made  a  lane  for  him  to 
pass  through.  Mahlon  Dickinson,  the  Recorder,  was 
in  the  act  of  giving  his  decision  on  the  case,  and  he 
closed  his  remarks  by  saying,  "The  conduct  of  Mr. 
Hopper  has  been  highly  reprehensible.  The  man  is 
not  his  debtor ;  and  the  pretence  that  he  was  so 
could  have  been  made  for  no  other  reason  but  to 
cause  unnecessary  delay,  vexation,  and  expense." 
The  lawyers  smiled  at  each  other,  and  seemed  not  a 
little  pleased  at  hearing  him  so  roughly  rebuked  ;  for 
many  of  them  had  been  more  or  less  annoyed  by  his 


162  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

skill  and  ready  wit  in  tangling  their  skein,  in  cases 
where  questions  of  freedom  were  involved.  Friend 
Hopper  stood  before  the  Recorder,  looking  him 
steadfastly  in  the  face,  while  he  was  making  animad- 
versions on  his  conduct ;  and  when  he  had  finished, 
he  respectfully  asked  leave  to  address  the  court  for 
a  few  minutes. 

"Well,  Mr.  Hopper,"  said  the  Recorder,  "what 
have  you  to  say  in  justification  of  your  very  extra- 
ordinary proceedings  ?" 

He  replied,  "  It  is  true  the  man  is  not  my  debtor ; 
but  the  court  has  greatly  erred  in  supposing  that  the 
step  I  have  taken  was  merely  intended  to  produce 
unnecessary  delay  and  expense.  The  Recorder  will 
doubtless  recollect  that  Congress  has  passed  an  act 
prohibiting  the  introduction  of  foreign  slaves  into 
this  country.  It  is  my  belief  that  the  case  now  be- 
fore the  court  is  embraced  writhin  the  provisions  of 
that  act.  But  I  needed  time  to  ascertain  the  point ; 
and  1  assumed  that  the  man  was  my  debtor  merely 
to  detain  him  until  the  Act  of  Congress  could  be 
examined." 

Jared  Ingersoll,  an  old  and  highly  respectable  law- 
yer, rose  to  say,  "  May  it  please  your  honors,  I  be- 
lieve Mr.  Hopper  is  correct  in  his  opinion.  A  Na- 
tional Intelligencer  containing  the  Act  of  Congress 
is  at  my  office,  and  I  will  send  for  it  if  you  wish." 
The  paper  was  soon  brought,  and  Friend  Hopper 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPEIl.  163 

read  aloud  the  section  which  Mr.  Ingersoll  pointed 
out ;  placing  strong  emphasis  on  such  portions  as 
bore  upon  the  case  then  pending.  When  he  had 
concluded,  he  observed,  "I  presume  the  court  must 
now  be  convinced  that  the  censures  so  liberally  be- 
stowed on  my  conduct  are  altogether  unmerited." 

The  counsel  for  the  claimant  said  a  newspaper 
was  not  legal  evidence  of  the  existence  of  a  law. 
Friend  Hopper  replied,  "  The  court  is  well  aware 
that  I  am  no  lawyer.  But  I  have  heard  lawyers 
talk  about  prima  facie  evidence  ;  and  I  should  sup- 
pose the  National  Intelligencer  amounted  at  least  to 
that  sort  of  evidence,  for  it  is  the  acknowledged  or- 
gan of  government,  in  which  the  laws  are  published 
for  the  information  of  citizens.  But  if  that  is  not 
satisfactory,  I  presume  the  court  will  detain  the  man 
until  an  authenticated  copy  of  the  law  can  be  obtain- 
ed." 

After  some  discussion,  the  court  ordered  a  copy  of 
the  law  to  be  procured  ;  but  the  attorney  abandoned 
the  case,  and  the  slave  was  set  at  liberty. 

As  soon  as  this  decision  was  announced,  the  throng 
of  spectators,  white  and  colored,  began  to  shout, 
"Hurra  for  Mr.  Hopper!"  The  populace  were  so 
accustomed  to  see  him  come  off  victorious  from  such 
contests,  that  they  began  to  consider  his  judgment 
infallible. 

Many  years  afterward,  when  Friend  Hopper  met 


164  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Mahlon  Dickinson  on  board  a  steam-boat,  he  inquired 
whether  he  recollected  the  scolding  he  gave  him  on 
a  certain  occasion.  He  replied  pleasantly,  "  Indeed 
I  do.  I  thought  I  had  you  that  time,  and  I  intended 
to  give  it  to  you ;  but  you  slipped  through  my  fin- 
gers, as  usual." 

THE  NEW-JERSEY  SLAVE. 

In  the  year  1809,  a  gentleman  from  East  New- 
Jersey  visited  Philadelphia,  and  brought  a  young  slave 
to  wait  upon  him.  When  they  had  been  in  that  city 
four  or  five  months,  the  lad  called  upon  Isaac  T. 
Hopper  to  inquire  whether  his  residence  in  Philadel- 
phia had  made  him  free.  He  wras  informed  that  he 
would  not  have  a  legal  claim  to  freedom  till  he  had 
been  there  six  months.  Just  as  the  term  expired, 
somebody  told  the  master  that  the  laws  of  Pennsyl- 
vania conferred  freedom  on  slaves  under  such  cir- 
cumstances. He  had  been  ignorant  of  the  fact,  or 
had  forgotten  it,  and  as  soon  as  he  received  the  in- 
formation he  became  alarmed  lest  he  should  lose  his 
locomotive  property.  He  sent  for  a  constable,  who 
came  to  his  door  with  a  carriage.  The  lad  had  just 
come  up  from  the  cellar  writh  an  armful  of  wood. 
When  he  entered  the  parlor,  the  constable  ordered 
him  to  put  it  down  and  go  with  him.  He  threw  the 
wood  directly  at  the  legs  of  the  officer,  and  ran  down 
cellar  full  speed,  slamming  the  door  after  him.  As 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  165 

soon  as  the  constable  could  recover  from  the  blow 
he  had  received,  he  followed  the  lad  into  the  cellar  ; 
but  he  had  escaped  by  another  door,  and  gone  to 
Isaac  T.  Hopper. 

It  was  snowing-  fast,  and  when  he  arrived  there  in 
his  shirt  sleeves,  his  black  wool  plentifully  powdered 
with  snow,  he  was  a  laughable  object  to  look  upon. 
But  his  countenance  showed  that  he  was  too  tho- 
roughly frightened  and  distressed  to  be  a  subject  of 
mirth  to  any  compassionate  heart.  Friend  Hopper 
tried  to  comfort  him  by  promising  that  he  would  pro- 
tect him,  and  assuring  him  that  he  was  now  legally 
free.  His  agitation  subsided  in  a  short  time,  and  he 
began  to  laugh  heartily  to  think  how  he  had  upset 
the  constable.  The  master  soon  came  to  Friend 
Hopper's  house,  described  the  lad's  dress  and  appear- 
ance, and  inquired  whether  he  had  seen  him.  He 
admitted  that  he  had,  but  declined  telling  where  he 
was.  The  master  made  some  severe  remarks  about 
the  meanness  of  tampering  with  gentlemen's  ser- 
vants, and  went  away.  In  about  half  an  hour  he  re- 
turned with  the  constable  and  said  Alderman  Kepler 
desired  his  respects  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  and  wished 
to  see  him  at  his  office.  He  replied,  "I  think  it 
likely  that  Alderman  Kepler  has  not  much  more  re- 
spect for  me  than  I  have  for  him.  If  he  has  more 
business  with  me  than  I  have  with  him,  I  am  at 
home,  and  can  be  spoken  with." 


166  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

The  master  went  away,  but  soon  returned  with 
two  constables  and  a  lawyer,  who  was  very  clamor- 
ous in  his  threats  of  what  would  be  the  consequences 
if  the  slave  was  not  at  once  surrendered  to  the  gen- 
tleman. One  of  the  officers  said  he  had  a  warrant 
to  search  the  house.  "Very  well,"  replied  Friend 
Hopper,  ~"  execute  it." 

"I  have  great  respect  for  you,"  rejoined  the  offi- 
cer. "I  should  be  sorry  to  search  your  house  by 
virtue  of  the  warrant.  I  hope  you  will  consent  to 
my  doing  so  without." 

"There  is  no  need  of  delicacy  on  this  occasion," 
replied  Friend  Hopper.  "Thou  hadst  better  pro- 
ceed to  the  extent  of  thy  authority." 

"You  give  your  consent,  do  you?"  inquired  the 
officer. 

He  answered,  "No,  I  do  not.  If  thou  hast  a  war- 
rant, of  course  my  consent  is  not  necessary.  Pro- 
ceed to  the  full  extent  of  thy  authority.  But  if  thou 
goest  one  inch  beyond,  thou  wilt  have  reason  to  re- 
pent of  it." 

The  party  left  the  house  utterly  discomfited.  He 
afterward  learned  that  they  had  applied  for  a  search- 
warrant,  but  could  not  procure  one. 

The  first  step  in  the  process  of  securing  the  lad's  | 
freedom  was  to  obtain  proof  that  he  had  been  in 
Philadelphia  six  months.  The  landlord  of  the  hotel 
where  the  master  lodged,  refused  to  say  anything  on 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  167 

• 

the  subject,  being  unwilling-  to  offend  his  lodger. 
But  the  servants  were  under  no  such  prudential  re- 
straint ;  and  from  them  Friend  Hopper  obtained  tes- 
timony sufficient  for  his  purpose.  He  then  wrote  a 
note  to  the  alderman  that  he  would  be  at  his  office 
with  the  lad  at  nine  o'clock  next  morning,  and  re- 
questing him  to  inform  the  claimant.  In  the  mean 
time,  he  procured  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  to  have  it 
in  readiness  in  case  circumstances  required  it.  The 
claimant  made  his  appearance  at  the  appointed  hour, 
and  stated  how  he  had  come  to  Philadelphia  on  a 
visit,  and  brought  a  slave  to  attend  upon  him.  He 
descanted  quite  largely  upon  the  courtesy  due  from 
citizens  of  one  state  to  those  of  another  state. 

Friend  Hopper  was  about  to  reply,  when  the 
magistrate  interrupted  him  by  saying,  "I  shall  not 
interfere  with  the  citizens  of  other  states.  I  shall 
surrender  the  boy  to  his  master.  If  he  thinks  he  has 
a  legal  claim  to  his  freedom,  let  him  prosecute  it  in 
New-Jersey." 

Friend  Hopper  said  nothing,  but  gave  a  signal  to 
have  the  writ  served.  The  magistrate  was  highly 
offended,  and  asked  in  an  angry  tone,  "What  was 
your  object  in  procuring  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  ?" 

Friend  Hopper  replied,  "From  my  knowledge  of 
thee,  I  anticipated  the  result  that  has  just  occurred ; 
and  I  determined  to  remove  the  case  to  a  tribunal 


168  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

where  I  had  confidence  that  justice  would  be  done 
in  the  premises." 

The  Court  of  Common  Pleas  was  then  in  session. 
The  case  was  brought  before  it  the  next  day,  and 
after  the  examination  of  two  or  three  witnesses,  the 
lad  was  declared  free. 

A  SLAVE  HUNTER  DEFEATED. 

In  1810,  a  slave  escaped  from  Virginia  to  Phila- 
delphia. In  a  few  months,  his  master  heard  where 
he  was,  and  caused  him  to  be  arrested.  He  was  a 
fine  looking  young  man,  apparently  about  thirty 
years  old.  When  he  wTas  brought  before  Alderman 
Shoemaker,  that  magistrate's  sympathy  was  so  much 
excited,  that  he  refused  to  try  the  case  unless  some 
one  was  present  to  defend  the  slave.  Isaac  T.  Hop- 
per was  accordingly  sent  for.  When  he  had  heard 
a  statement  of  the  case,  he  asked  the  agent  of  the 
slaveholder  to  let  him  examine  the  Power  of  Attor- 
ney by  which  he  had  been  authorized  to  arrest  a 
"fugitive  from  labor,"  and  carry  him  to  Virginia. 
The  agent  denied  his  right  to  interfere,  but  Alder- 
man Shoemaker  informed  him  that  Mr.  Hopper  was 
a  member  of  the  Emancipation  Society,  and  had  a 
right  to  be  satisfied. 

The  Power  of  Attorney  was  correctly  drawn,  and 
had  been  acknowledged  in  Washington,  before  Bush- 
rod  Washington,  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Supreme 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  169 

Court  of  the  United  States.  Friend  Hopper's  keen 
eye  could  detect  no  available  flaw  in  it.  When  the 
agent  had  been  sworn  to  answer  truly  all  questions 
relating  to  the  case,  he  inquired  whether  the  fugitive 
he  was  in  search  of  had  been  advertised ;  if  so,  he 
wished  to  see  the  advertisement.  It  was  handed  to 
him,  and  he  instantly  noticed  that  it  was  headed 
"Sixty  Dollars  Reward." 

"Art  thou  to  receive  sixty  dollars  for  apprehend- 
ing the  man  mentioned  in  this  advertisement?"  said 
he. 

The  agent  replied,  "  I  am  to  receive  that  sum  pro- 
vided I  take  him  home  to  Virginia." 

"How  canst  thou  prove  that  the  man  thou  hast 
arrested  is  the  one  here  advertised  ? "  inquired  he. 

The  agent  answered  that  he  could  swear  to  the 
fact. 

"That  may  be,"  rejoined  Friend  Hopper;  "but  in 
Philadelphia  we  do  not  allow  any  person,  especially 
a  stranger,  to  swear  sixty  dollars  into  his  own 
pocket,  Unless  there  is  better  evidence  than  thy 
oath,  the  man  must  be  set  at  liberty." 

The  agent  became  extremely  irritated,  and  said 
indignantly,  "Do  you  think  I  would  swear  to  a 
lie?" 

"Thou  art  a  stranger  to  me,"  replied  Friend  Hop- 
per.     "I  don't  know  whether  thou  wouldst  swear 
8 


170  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

falsely  or  not.     But  there  is  one  thing  I  do  know; 
and  that  is,  I  am  not  willing  to  trust  thee." 

The  agent  reiterated,  "I  know  the  man  standing 
there  as  well  as  I  know  any  man  living.  I  am  per- 
fectly sure  he  is  the  slave  described  in  the  adver- 
tisement. I  was  overseer  for  the  gentleman  who 
owns  him.  If  you  examine  his  back,  you  will  find 
scars  of  the  whip." 

"And  perhaps  thou  art  the  man  who  made  the 
scars,  if  he  has  any,"  rejoined  the  Friend. 

Without  replying  to  this  suggestion,  the  slave- 
hunter  ordered  the  colored  man  to  strip,  that  his 
back  might  be  examined  by  the  court.  Friend 
Hopper  objected  to  such  a  proceeding:  "Thou  hast 
produced  no  evidence  that  the  man  thou  hast  arrested 
is  a  slave,"  said  he.  "Thou  and  he  are  on  the  same 
footing  before  this  court.  We  have  as  good  a  right 
to  examine  thy  back,  as  we  have  to  examine  his." 
He  added,  with  a  very  significant  tone,  "In  some 
places,  they  whip  for  kidnapping." 

This  remark  put  the  slave-hunter  in  a  violent 
rage.  The  magistrate  decided  that  his  evidence 
was  not  admissible,  on  the  ground  that  he  was  in- 
terested. He  then  proposed  to  summon  two  wit- 
nesses from  a  Virginian  vessel  lying  at  one  of  the 
wharves. 

"  Of  course  thou  art  at  liberty  to  go  for  witnesses," 
replied  Friend  Hopper.  "But  I  appeal  to  the  ma- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  171 

gistrate  to  discharge  this  man.  Under  present  cir- 
cumstances, he  ought  not  to  be  detained  a  single 
moment."  The  alderman  needed  no  urging  on  that 
point.  He  very  promptly  discharged  the  prisoner. 
As  soon  as  he  left  the  office,  the  slave-hunter  siezed 
hold  of  him,  and  swore  he  would  keep  him  till  wit- 
nesses were  brought.  But  Friend  Hopper  walked 
up  to  him,  and  said  in  his  resolute  way,  "Let  go  thy 
hold !  or  I  will  take  such  measures  as  will  make 
thee  repent  of  thy  rashness.  How  darest  thou  lay  a 
finger  upon  the  man  after  the  magistrate  has  dis- 
charged him  ? " 

Thus  admonished,  he  reluctlantly  relinquished  his 
grasp,  and  went  off  swearing  vengeance  against  "the 
meddlesome  Quaker." 

Friend  Hopper  hastened  home  with  the  colored 
man,  and  wrote  a  imef  letter  to  his  friend  William 
Reeve,  in  New-Jersey,  concluding  with  these  words : 
"Verily  I  say  unto  you,  inasmuch  as  ye  have  done 
it  unto  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done 
it  unto  me."  This  letter  was  given  to  the  fugitive 
with  directions  how  to  proceed.  His  friend  accom- 
panied him  to  the  ferry,  saw  him  safely  across  the 
river,  and  then  returned  home. 

In  an  hour  or  two  the  slave-hunter  came  to  the 
house,  accompanied  by  a  constable  and  two  wit- 
nesses from  Virginia.  "The  slave  I  arrested  was 


172  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

seen  to  come  here,"  said  he.  ''Where  is  he?  Pro- 
duce him." 

Friend  Hopper  replied  very  quietly,  "The  man 
has  been  here ;  but  he  is  gone  now." 

This  answer  made  the  agent  perfectly  furious. 
After  discharging  a  volley  of  oaths,  he  said  he  had  a 
search  warrant,  and  swore  he  would  have  the  house 
searched  from  garret  to  cellar.  "Very  well,"  re- 
plied Friend  Hopper,  "thou  art  at  liberty  to  proceed 
according  to  law;  but  be  careful  not  to  overstep 
that  boundary.  If  thou  dost,  it  will  be  at  thy  peril." 

After  the  slave-hunter  had  vented  his  rage  in  a 
torrent  of  abuse,  the  constable  proposed  to  speak  a 
few  words  in  private.  With  many  friendly  profes- 
sions, he  acknowledged  that  they  had  no  search- 
warrant.  "The  gentleman  was  about  to  obtain  one 
from  the  mayor,"  said  he;  "but  I  wished  to  save 
your  feelings.  .  I  told  him  you  were  well  acquainted 
with  me,  and  I  had  no  doubt  you  would  permit 
me  'to  search  your  house  without  any  legal  pro- 
cess." 

Friend  Hopper  listened  patiently,  perfectly  well 
aware  that  the  whole  statement  was  a  sham.  When 
the  constable  paused  for  a  reply,  he  opened  the  door, 
and  said  very  concisely,  "Thou  art  at  liberty  to  go' 
about  thy  business." 

They  spent  several  days  searching  for  the  fugitive, 
but  their  efforts  were  unavailing. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  173 

MAEY  MORRIS. 

A  WOMAN,  who  was  born  too  early  to  derive  benefit 
from  the  gradual  emancipation  law  of  Pennsylvania, 
escaped  from  bondage  in  Lancaster  County  to  Phila- 
delphia. There  she  married  a  free  colored  man  by 
the  name  of  Abraham  Morris.  They  lived  together 
very  comfortably  for  several  years,  and  seemed  to 
enjoy  life  as  much  as  many  of  their  more  wealthy 
neighbors.  But  in  the  year  1810,  it  unfortunately 
happened  that  Mary's  master  ascertained  where  she 
lived,  and  sent  a  man  to  arrest  her,  with  directions 
either  to  sell  her,  or  bring  her  back  to  him. 

Abraham  Morris  was  a  very  intelligent,  industrious 
man,  and  had  laid  up  some  money.  He  offered  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  of  his  earnings  to  purchase 
the  freedom  of  his  wife.  The  sum  was  accepted, 
and  the  parties  applied  to  Daniel  Bussier,  a  magis- 
trate in  the  District  of  Southwark,  to  draw  up  a  deed 
of  manumission.  The  money  was  paid,  and  the  deed 
given ;  but  the  agent  employed  to  sell  the  woman 
absconded  with  the  money.  The  master,  after  wait- 
ing several  months  and  not  hearing  from  him,  sent 
to  Philadelphia  and  caused  Mary  Morris  to  be  ar- 
rested again.  She  was  taken  to  the  office  of  Daniel 
Bussier,  and  notwithstanding  he  had  witnessed  her 
deed  of  manumission  a  few  months  before,  he  com- 
mitted her  to  prison  as  a  fugitive  slave.  When  her 


174  LIFE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 

husband  called  upon  Isaac  T.  Hopper  and  related  all 
the  circumstances,  he  thought  there  must  be  some 
mistake ;  for  he  could  not  believe  that  any  magis- 
trate would  be  so  unjust  and  arbitrary,  as  to  commit 
a  woman  to  prison  as  a  fugitive,  when  he  had  seen 
the  money  paid  for  her  ransom,  and  the  deed  of 
manumission  given.  He  went  to  Mr.  Bussier  imme- 
diately, and  very  civilly  told  him  that  he  had  called 
to  make  inquiry  concerning  a  colored  woman  com- 
mitted to  prison  as  a  fugitive  slave  on  the  evening 
previous. 

"  Go  out  of  my  office  !"  said  the  undignified  magis- 
trate. "I  want  nothing  to  do  with  you." 

He  replied,  "I  come  here  as  the  friend  and  advi- 
ser of  the  woman's  husband.  My  request  is  rea- 
sonable, and  I  trust  thou  wilt  not  refuse  it." 

In  answer  to  this  appeal,  Mr.  Bussier  merely  re- 
peated, "  Go  out  of  my  office  !" 

Friend  Hopper  offered  him  half  a  dollar,  saying, 
"  I  want  an  extract  from  thy  docket.  Here  is  the 
lawful  fee." 

All  this  time,  Mr.  Bussier  had  been  under  the 
hands  of  a  barber,  who  was  cutting  his  hair.  He 
became  extremely  irritated,  and  said,  "  If  you  won't 
leave  this  office,  I  will  put  you  out,  as  soon  as  I  have 
taken  the  seat  of  justice." 

"I  wish  thou  wouldst  take  the  seat  of  justice," 
replied  Friend  Hopper;  "for  then  J  should  obtain 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  175 

what  I  want ;  but  if  thou  dost,  I  apprehend  it  will  be 
for  the  first  time." 

Mr.  Bussier  sprang  hastily  from  his  chair,  and 
seated  himself  at  the  magisterial  desk,  which  was 
raised  about  a  foot  from  the  floor,  and  surrounded  by 
a  railing.  Conceiving  himself  now  armed  with  the 
thunders  of  the  law,  he  called  out,  in  tones  of  autho- 
rity, "Mr.  Hopper,  I  command  you  to  quit  this  of- 
fice !" 

The  impassive  Quaker  stood  perfectly  still,  and 
pointing  to  Abraham  Morris,  he  again  tendered  the 
half  dollar,  saying,  "I  want  an  extract  from  thy 
docket,  in  the  case  of  this  man's  wife.  Here  is  the 
lawful  fee  for  it.  Please  give  it  to  me." 

This  quiet  perseverance  deprived  the  excited  magis- 
trate of  what  little  patience  he  had  left.  He  took 
the  importunate  petitioner  by  the  shoulders,  pushed 
him  into  the  street,  and  shut  the  door. 

Friend  Hopper  then  applied  to  Jacob  Rush,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  a  writ  of  ha- 
beas corpus.  The  woman  was  brought  before  him, 
and  when  he  had  heard  the  particulars  of  the  case, 
and  examined  her  deed  of  manumission,  he  immedi- 
ately discharged  her,  to  the  great  joy  ol  herself  and 
husband. 

Friend  Hopper  thought  it  might  be  a  useful  lesson 
for  Mr.  Bussier  to  learn  that  his  "little  brief  authori- 
ty" had  boundaries  which  could  not  be  passed  with 


176  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

impunity.  He  accordingly  had  him  indicted  for  as 
sault  and  battery.  He  and  his  political  friends  were 
a  good  deal  ashamed  of  his  conduct,  and  finally,  af- 
ter many  delays  in  bringing  on  the  trial,  and  various 
attempts  to  hush  up  the  matter,  Mr.  Bussier  called 
upon  Friend  Hopper  to  say  that  he  deeply  regretted 
the  course  he  had  pursued.  His  apology  was  readily 
accepted,  and  the  case  dismissed ;  he  agreeing  to 
pay  the  costs. 

THE  SLAVE  MOTHER. 

Cassy  was  slave  to  a  merchant  in  Baltimore,  by 
the  name  of  Claggett.  She  had  reason  to  believe 
that  her  master  was  about  to  sell  her  to  a  speculator, 
who  was  making  up  a  coffle  for  the  markets  of  the 
far  South.  The  terror  felt  in  view  of  such  a  pros- 
pect can  be  understood  by  slaves  only.  She  resolved 
to  escape  ;  and  watching  a  favorable  opportunity,  she 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  neighborhood  of  Haddon- 
field,  New-Jersey.  There  she  obtained  service  in  a 
very  respectable  family.  She  was  honest,  steady, 
and  industrious,  and  made  many  friends  by  her 
cheerful,  obliging  manners.  But  her  heart  was  never 
at  rest ;  for  she  had  left  in  Baltimore  a  babe  little 
more  than  a  year  old.  She  had  not  belonged  to  an 
unusually  severe  master ;  but  she  had  experienced 
quite  enough  of  the  sufferings  of  slavery  to  dread  it 
for  her  child.  Her  thoughts  dwelt  so  much  on  this 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  177 

painful  subject,  that  her  naturally  cheerful  character 
became  extremely  saddened.  She  at  last  determined 
to  make  a  bold  effort  to  save  her  little  one  from  the 
liability  of  being  sold,  like  a  calf  or  pig  in  the  sham- 
bles. She  went  to  see  Isaac  T.  Hopper  and  com- 
municated to  him  her  plan.  He  tried  to  dissuade 
her ;  for  he  considered  the  project  extremely  danger- 
ous, and  well  nigh  hopeless.  But  the  mother's  heart 
yearned  for  her  babe,  and  the  incessant  longing 
stimulated  her  courage  to  incur  all  hazards.  To 
Baltimore  she  went ;  her  pulses  throbbing  hard  and 
fast,  with  the  double  excitement  of  hope  and  fear. 
She  arrived  safely,  and  went  directly  to  the  house  of 
a  colored  family,  old  friends  of  hers,  in  whom  she 
could  confide  with  perfect  safety.  To  her  great  joy, 
she  found  that  they  approved  her  plan,  and  were 
ready  to  assist  her.  Arrangements  were  soon  made 
to  convey  the  child  to  a  place  about  twenty  miles 
from  Baltimore,  where  it  would  be  well  taken  care 
of,  till  the  mother  could  find  a  safe  opportunity  to 
remove  it  to  New-Jersey. 

Before  she  had  time  to  take  all  the  steps  necessa- 
ry to  insure  success  in  this  undertaking,  her  master 
was  informed  of  her  being  in  the  city,  and  sent  con- 
stables in  pursuit  of  her.  Luckily,  her  friends  were 
apprized  of  this  in  season  to  give  her  warning ;  and 
her  own  courage  and  ingenuity  proved  adequate  to 

the   emergency.     She   disguised  herself  in   sailor's 

8* 


178  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

clothes,  and  walked  boldly  to  the  Philadelphia  boat. 
There  she  walked  up  and  down  the  deck,  with  her 
arms  folded,  smoking  a  cigar,  and  occasionally  pass- 
ing and  repassing  the  constables  who  had  been  sent 
on  board  in  search  of  her.  These  men,  having 
watched  till  the  last  moment  for  the  arrival  of  a  co- 
lored woman  answering  to  her  description,  took  their 
departure.  The  boat  started,  and  brought  the  coura- 
geous mother  safely  to  Philadelphia,  where  Friend 
Hopper  and  others  rejoiced  over  the  history  of  her 
hair-breadth  escape. 

A  few  weeks  after,  she  went  to  the  place  where 
her  child  had  been  left,  and  succeeded  in  bringing  it 
safely  away.  For  a  short  time,  her  happiness  seem- 
ed to  be  complete ;  but  when  the  first  flush  of  joy 
and  thankfulness  had  subsided,  she  began  to  be 
harassed  with  continual  fears  lest  she  and  her  child 
should  be  arrested  in  some  evil  hour,  and  carried 
back  into  slavery.  By  unremitting  industry,  and 
very  strict  economy,  she  strove  to  lay  by  money 
enough  to  purchase  their  freedom.  She  had  made 
friends  by  her  good  conduct  and  obliging  ways,  while 
her  maternal  affection  and  enterprising  character  ex- 
cited a  good  deal  of  interest  among  those  acquainted 
with  her  history.  Donations  were  occasionally  added 
to  her  earnings,  and  a  sum  was  soon  raised  sufficient 
to  accomplish  her  favorite  project.  Isaac  T.  Hop- 
per entered  into  negotiation  with  her  master,  and  sue- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  179 

ceeded    in  obtaining  manumission  for  her  and  her 
child. 

COLONEL  RIDGELEY'S  SLAVE. 

A  slave  escaped  from  Colonel  Ridgeley,  who  resid- 
ed in  the  southern  part  of  Virginia.  He  went  to 
Philadelphia,  and  remained  there  undiscovered  for 
several  years.  But  he  was  never  quite  free  from 
anxiety,  lest  in  some  unlucky  hour,  he  should  be  ar- 
rested and  carried  back  to  bondage.  When  he  had 
laid  up  some  money,  he  called  upon  Isaac  T.  Hop- 
per to  assist  him  in  buying  the  free  use  of  his  own 
limbs.  A  negotiation  was  opened  with  Col.  Ridge- 
ley,  who  agreed  to  take  two  hundred  dollars  for  the 
fugitive,  and  appointed  a  time  to  come  to  Philadel- 
phia to  arrange  the  business.  But  instead  of  keep- 
ing his  agreement  honorably,  he  went  to  that  city 
several  weeks  before  the  specified  time,  watched  for 
his  bondman,  seized  him,  and  conveyed  him  to 
Friend  Hopper's  office.  When  the  promised  two 
hundred  dollars  were  offered,  he  refused  to  accept 
them. 

"  Why,  that  is  the  sum  thou  hast  agreed  upon," 
said  Friend  Hopper. 

"I  know  that,"  replied  the  Colonel ;  "but  I  won't 
take  it  now.  He  was  the  best  servant  I  ever  had. 
I  can  sell  him  for  one  thousand  dollars  in  Virginia. 


180  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Under  present  circumstances,  I  will  take  five  hun- 
dred dollars  for  him,  and  not  one  cent  less." 

After  considerable  discussion,  Friend  Hopper  urged 
him  to  allow  his  bondman  until  ten  o'clock  next 
morning,  to  see  what  could  be  done  among  his 
friends ;  and  he  himself  gave  a  written  obligation 
that  the  man  should  be  delivered  up  to  him  at  that 
hour,  in  case  he  could  not  procure  five  hundred  dol- 
lars to  purchase  his  freedom. 

When  the  master  was  gone,  Friend  Hopper  said 
to  the  alarmed  fugitive,  "There  now  remains  but 
one  way  for  thee  to  obtain  thy  freedom.  As  to  rais- 
ing five  hundred  dollars,  that  is  out  of  the  question. 
But  if  thou  wilt  be  prompt  and  resolute,  and  do  pre- 
cisely as  I  tell  thee,  I  think  thou  canst  get  off  safe- 

iy" 

"I  will  do  anything  for  freedom,"  replied  the 
bondman  ;  "for  I  have  made  up  my  mind,  come  what 
may,  that  I  never  will  go  back  into  slavery." 

"Very  well  then,"  rejoined  his  friend.  "Don't  get 
frightened  when  the  right  moment  comes  to  act ;  but 
keep  thy  wits  about  thee,  and  do  as  I  tell  thee.  Thy 
master  will  come  here  to-morrow  at  ten  o'clock,  ac- 
cording to  appointment.  I  must  deliver  thee  up  to 
him,  and  receive  back  the  obligation  for  one  thou 
sand  dollars,  which  I  have  given  him.  Do  thou 
stand  with  thy  back  against  the  door,  which  opens 
from  this  room  into  the  parlor.  When  he  has  re- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  181 

turned  the  paper  to  me,  open  the  door  quickly,  lock 
it  on  the  inside,  and  run  through  the  parlor  into  the 
back-yard.  There  is  a  wall  there  eight  feet  high, 
with  spikes  at  the  top.  Thou  wilt  find  a  clothes- 
horse  leaning  against  it,  to  help  thee  up.  When 
thou  hast  mounted,  kick  the  clothes-horse  down  be- 
hind thee,  drop  on  the  other  side  of  the  wall,  and  be 
off."  The  premises  were  then  shown  to  him,  and  he 
received  minute  directions  through  what  alleys  and 
streets  he  had  better  pass,  and  at  what  house  he 
could  find  a  temporary  refuge. 

Col.  Ridgeley  came  the  next  morning,  at  the  ap- 
pointed hour,  and  brought  a  friend  to  stand  sentinel 
at  the  street  door,  lest  the  slave  should  attempt  to 
rush  out.  It  did  not  occur  to  him  that  there  was 
any  danger  of  his  running  in. 

"We  have  not  been  able  to  raise  the  five  hundred 
dollars,"  said  Friend  Hopper ;  "and  here  is  thy  man, 
according  to  agreement." 

The  Colonel  gave  back  his  obligation  for  one 
thousand  dollars ;  and  the  instant  it  left  his  hand, 
the  fugitive  passed  into  the  parlor.  The  master 
sprang  'over  the  counter  after  him,  but  found  the 
door  locked.  Before  he  could  get  to  the  back  yard 
by  another  door,  the  wall  was  scaled,  the  clothes- 
horse  thrown  down,  and  the  fugitive  was  beyond  his 
reach.  Of  course,  he  returned  very  much  disap- 
pointed and  enraged  ;  declaring  his  firm  belief  that  a 


182  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

trick  had  been  played  upon  him  purposely.  After 
he  had  given  vent  to  his  anger  some  little  time, 
Friend  Hopper  asked  for  a  private  interview  with 
him.  When  they  were  alone  together  in  the  parlor, 
he  said,  "  I  admit  this  was  an  intentional  trick ;  but 
I  had  what  seemed  to  me  good  reasons  for  resorting 
to  it.  In  the  first  place,  thou  didst  not  keep  the 
agreement  made  with  me,  but  sought  to  gain  an  un- 
fair advantage.  In  the  next  place,  I  knew  that  man 
was  thy  own  son  ;  and  I  think  any  person  who  is  so 
unfeeling  as  to  make  traffic  of  his  own  flesh  and 
blood,  deserves  to  be  tricked  out  of  the  chance  to  do 
it." 

"  What  if  he  is  my  son  ?"  rejoined  the  Virginian. 
"I've  as  good  a  right  to  sell  my  own  flesh  and  blood 
as  that  of  any  other  person.  If  I  choose  to  do  it,  it 
is  none  of  your  business."  He  opened  the  door,  and 
beckoning  to  his  friend,  who  was  in  waiting,  he  said, 
"  Hopper  admits  this  was  all  a  trick  to  set  the  slave 
free."  Then  turning  to  Friend  Hopper,  he  added, 
"You  admit  it  was  a  trick,  don't  you  ?" 

"  Thou  and  I  will  talk  that  matter  over  by  our- 
selves," he  replied.  "The  presence  of  a  third  person 
is  not  always  convenient." 

The  Colonel  went  off  in  a  violent  passion,  and 
forgetting  that  he  was  not  in  Virginia,  he  rushed  into 
the  houses  of  several  colored  people,  knocked  them 
about,  overturned  their  beds,  and  broke  their  furni- 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  183 

ture,  in  search  of  the  fugitive.  Being  unable  to  ob- 
tain any  information  concerning  him,  he  cooled  down 
considerably,  and  went  to  inform  Friend  Hopper  that 
he  would  give  a  deed  of  manumission  for  two  hun- 
dred dollars  ;  but  his  offer  was  rejected. 

"Why  that  was  your  own  proposal !"  vociferated 
the  Colonel. 

"  Very  true,"  he  replied  ;  "and  I  offered  thee  the. 
money ;  but  thou  refused  to  take  it." 

After  storming  awhile,  the  master  went  off  to  ob- 
tain legal  advice  from  the  Hon.  John  Sergeant. 
Meanwhile,  several  of  the  colored  people  had  entered 
a  complaint  against  him  for  personal  abuse,  and  dam- 
age done  to  their  furniture.  He  was  obliged  to  give 
bonds  for  his  appearance  at  the  next  court,  to  answer 
their  accusations.  This  was  a'  grievous  humiliation 
for  a  proud  Virginian,  who  had  been  educated  to 
think  that  colored  people  had  no  civil  rights.  In 
this  unpleasant  dilemma,  his  lawyer  advised  him  to 
give  a  deed  of  manumission  for  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  ;  promising  to  exert  his  influence  to  have  the 
mortifying  suits  withdrawn. 

The  proposed  terms  were  accepted,  and  the  money 
promptly  paid  by  the  slave  from  his  own  earnings. 
But  when  Mr.  Sergeant  proposed  that  the  suits  for 
assault  and  battery  should  be  withdrawn,  Friend 
Hopper  replied,  "I  have  no  authority  to  dismiss 
them." 


184  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

"  They  will  be  dismissed  if  you  advise  it,"  rejoined 
the  lawyer ;  "  and  if  you  will  promise  to  do  it,  I 
shall  be  perfectly  satisfied." 

"These  colored  people  have  been  very  badly  treat- 
ed," answered  Friend  Hopper.  "If  the  aggressor 
wants  to  settle  the  affair,  he  had  better  go  to  them 
and  offer  some  equivolent  for  the  trouble  he  has 
given." 

The  lawyer  replied,  "When  he  agreed  to  manu- 
mit the  man  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  he  ex- 
pected these  suits  would  be  dismissed,  of  course,  as 
a  part  of  the  bargain.  What  sum  do  you  think  these 
people  will  take  to  withdraw  them  ?" 

Friend  Hopper  said  he  thought  they  would  do  it 
/or  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

"I  will  pay  it,"  replied  Mr.  Sergeant ;  "for  Colonel 
Ridgeley  is  very  anxious  to  return  home." 

Thus  the  money  paid  for  the  deed  of  manumission 
was  returned.  Forty  dollars  were  distributed  among 
the  colored  people,  to  repay  the  damage  done  to 
their  property.  After  some  trifling  incidental  expen- 
ses had  been  deducted,  the  remainder  was  returned 
to  the  emancipated  slave ;  who  thus  obtained  his 
freedom  for  about  fifty  dollars,  instead  of  the  sum 
originally  offered.  . 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  185 

STOP  THIEF! 

About  the  year  1826,  a  Marylander,  by  the  name 
of  Solomon  Low,  arrested  a  fugitive  slave  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  took  him  to  the  office  of  an  alderman  to 
obtain  the  necessary  authority  for  carrying  him  back 
into  bondage.  Finding  the  magistrate  gone  to  din- 
ner, they  placed  the  colored  man  in  the  entry,  while 
Mr.  Low  and  his  companions  guarded  the  door. 
Some  of  the  colored  people  soon  informed  Isaac  T. 
Hopper  of  these  circumstances,  and  he  hastened  to 
the  office.  *Observing  the  state  of  things  there,  he 
concluded  it  would  be  no  difficult -matter  to  give  the 
colored  man  a  chance  to  escape.  He  stepped  up  to 
the  men  at  the  door,  and  demanded  in  a  peremptory 
manner  by  what  authority  they  were  holding  that 
man  in  duress.  Mr.  Low  replied,  "He  is  my  slave." 

"This  is  strange  conduct,"  rejoined  Friend  Hop- 
per. "Who  can  tell  whether  he  is  thy  slave  or  not  ? 
What  proof  is  there  that  you  are  not  a  band  of  kid- 
nappers ?  Dost  thou  suppose  the  laws  of  Pennsyl- 
vania tolerate  such  proceedings  ?" 

These  charges  arrested  the  attention  of  Mr.  Low 
and  his  companions,  who  turned  round  to  answer  the 
speaker.  The  slave,  seeing  their  backs  toward  him 
for  an  instant,  seized  that  opportunity  to  rush  out ; 
and  he  had  run  two  or  three  rods  before  they  missed 
him.  They  immediately  raised  the  cry  of  "  Stop 


186  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Thief!  Stop  Thief!"  An  Irishman,  who  joined  in 
the  pursuit,  arrested  the  fugitive  and  brought  him 
back  to  his  master. 

Friend  Hopper  remonstrated  with  him ;  saying, 
"The  man  is  not  a  thief.  They  claim  him  for  a 
slave,  and  he  was  running  for  liberty.  How  wouldst 
thou  like  to  be  made  a  slave  ?" 

The  kind-hearted  Hibernian  replied,  "Then  they 
lied ;  for  they  said  he  was  a  thief.  If  he  is  a  slave, 
I'm  sorry  I  stopped  him.  However,  I  will  put  him 
in  as  good  a  condition  as  I  found  him."  So  saying, 
he  went  near  the  man  who  had  the  fugitive  in  custo- 
dy, and  seized  him.  by  the  collar  with  a  sudden  jerk, 
that  threw  him  on  the  pavement.  The  slave  instant- 
ly started,  and  ran  at  his  utmost  speed,  again  follow- 
ed by  the  cry  of  "Stop  Thief!"  Having  run  some 
distance,  and  being  nearly  out  of  breath,  he  darted 
into  the  shop  of  a  watch-maker,  named  Samuel  Ma- 
son, who  immediately  closed  and  fastened  his  door, 
so  that  the  crowd  could  not  follow  him.  The  fugi- 
tive passed  out  of  the  back  door,  and  wras  never  af- 
terward recaptured. 

The  disappointed  master  brought  an  action  against 
Samuel  Mason  for  rescuing  his  slave.  Charles  J. 
Ingersoll  and  his  brother  Joseph,  two  accomplished 
lawyers  of  Philadelphia,  conducted  the  trial  for  him, 
with  zeal  and  ingenuity  worthy  of  a  better  cause. 
Isaac  T.  Hopper  was  summoned  as  a  witness,  and  in 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

the  course  of  examination  he  was  asked  what  course 
members  of  the  Society  of  Friends  adopted  when  a 
fugitive  slave  came  to  them.  He  replied,  "I  am  not 
willing  to  answer  for  any  one  but  myself." 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Ingersoll,  "what  would  you  do 
in  such  a  case  ?  Would  you  deliver  him  to  his  mas- 
ter?" 

"  Indeed  I  would  not !"  answered  the  Friend. 
"  My  conscience  would  not  permit  me  to  do  it.  It 
would  be  a  great  crime ;  because  it  would  be  diso- 
bedience to  my  own  dearest  convictions  of  right.  I 
should  never  expect  to  enjoy  an  hour  of  peace  after- 
ward. I  would  do  for  a  fugitive  slave  whatever  I 
should  like  to  have  done  for  myself,  under  similar 
circumstances.  If  he  asked  my  protection  I  would 
extend  it  to  him  to  the  utmost  of  my  power.  If  he 
was  hungry,  I  would  feed  him.  If  he  was  naked,  I 
would  clothe  him.  If  he  needed  advice,  I  would 
give  such  as  I  thought  would  be  most  beneficial  to 
him." 

The  cause  was  tried  before  Judge  Bushrod  Wash- 
ington, nephew  of  General  Washington.  Though  a 
slaveholder  himself,  he  manifested  no  partiality  dur- 
ing the  trial,  which  continued  several  days,  with  able 
arguments  on  both  sides.  The  counsel  for  the  claim- 
ant maintained  that  Samuel  Mason  prevented  the 
master  from  regaining  his  slave,  by  shutting  his  door, 
and  refusing  to  open  it.  The  counsel  for  the  defen- 


188  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

dant  replied  that  there  was  much  valuable  and  brit- 
tle property  in  the  watchmaker's  shop,  which  would 
have  been  liable  to  robbery  and  destruction,  if  a  pro- 
miscuous mob  had  been  allowed  to  rush  in.  Judge 
Washington  summed  up  the  evidence  very  clearly 
to  the  jury,  who  after  retiring  for  deliberation  a 
considerable  time,  returned  into  court,  declaring  that 
they  could  not  agree  upon  a  verdict,  and  probably 
never  should  agree.  They  were  ordered  out  again, 
and  kept  together  till  the  court  adjourned,  when 
they  were  dismissed. 

At  the  succeeding  term,  the  case  was  tried  again, 
with  renewed  energy  and  zeal.  But  the  jury,  after 
being  kept  together  ten  days,  were  discharged  with- 
out being  able  to  agree  upon  a  verdict.  Some,  who 
were  originally  in  favor  of  the  defendant,  became 
weary  of  their  long  confinement,  and  consented  to 
go  over  to  the  slaveholder's  side ;  but  one  of  them, 
named  Benjamin  Thaw,  declared  that  he  would  eat 
his  Christmas  dinner  in  the  jury-room,  before  he 
would  consent  to  such  a  flagrant  act  of  injustice. 

His  patience  held  out  till  the  court  adjourned. 
Consequently  a  third  trial  became  necessary ;  and 
the  third  jury  brought  in  a  verdict  in  favor  of  the 
watchmaker. 

The  expenses  of  these  suits  were  estimated  at 
seventeen  hundred  dollars.  Solomon  Low  was  in 
limited  circumstances  ;  and  this  expenditure  in  prose- 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  189 

cuting  an  innocent  man  was  said  to  have  caused  his 
failure  soon  after. 

THE   DISGUISED    SLAVEHOLDER. 

A  colored  woman  and  her  son  were  slaves  to  a 
man  in  East-Jersey.  She  had  two  sons  in  Philadel- 
phia, who  had  been  free  several  years,  and  her  pre- 
sent master  was  unacquainted  with  them.  In  1827, 
she  and  her  younger  son  escaped,  and  went  to  live 
in  Philadelphia.  Her  owner,  knowing  she  had  free 
sons  in  that  city,  concluded  as  a  matter  of  course 
that  she  had  sought  their  protection.  A  few  weeks 
after  her  flight,  he  followed  her,  and  having  assumed 
Quaker  costume,  went  to  the  house  of  one  of  her 
sons.  He  expressed  great  interest  for  the  woman, 
and  said  he  wished  to  obtain  an  interview  with  her 
for  her  benefit.  His  friendly  garb  and  kind  language 
completely  deceived  her  son,  and  he  told  him  that 
his  mother  was  then  staying  at  his  brother's  house, 
which  was  not  far  off.  Having  obtained  this  infor- 
mation, the  slaveholder  procured  a  constable  and  im- 
mediately went  to  the  place  described.  Fortunately, 
the  son  was  at  home,  and  it  being  warm  weather  he 
sat  near  the  open  door.  The  mother  was  seated  at 
a  chamber  window,  and  saw  a  constable  approaching 
the  house,  with  a  gentleman  in  Quaker  costume, 
whom  she  at  once  recognized  as  her  master.  She 
gave  the  alarm  to  her  son,  who  instantly  shut  the 


190  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

door  and  fastened  it.  The  master,  being  refused  ad- 
mittance, placed  a  guard  there,  while  he  went  to  pro- 
cure a  search-warrant.  These  proceedings  attracted 
the  attention  of  colored  neighbors,  and  a  crowd  soon 
gathered  about  the  house.  They  seized  the  man 
who  guarded  the  door,  and  held  him  fast,  while  the 
woman  and  her  fugitive  son  rushed  out.  It  was 
dusk,  and  the  uncertain  light  favored  their  escape. 
They  ran  about  a  mile,  and  took  refuge  with  a  co- 
lored family  in  Locust-street.  The  watchman  soon 
got  released  from  the  colored  people  who  held  him, 
and  succeeded  in  tracing  the  woman  to  her  new  re- 
treat, where  he  again  mounted  guard.  The  master 
returned  meanwhile,  and  having  learned  the  circum- 
stances, went  to  the  magistrate  to  obtain  another 
warrant  to  search  the  house  in  Locust-street. 

At  this  stage  of  the  affair,  Friend  Hopper  was 
summoned,  and  immediately  went  to  the  rescue,  ac- 
companied by  one  of  his  sons,  about  sixteen  years 
old.  He  found  the  woman  and  her  son  stowed  away 
in  a  closet,  exceedingly  terrified.  He  assured  them 
they  would  be  quite  as  safe  on  the  mam^l-piece,  as 
they  would  be  in  that  closet ;  that  their  being  found 
concealed  would  be  regarded  as  the  best  evidence 
that  they  were  the  persons  sought  for.  Knowing  it 
was  dangerous  for  them  to  remain  in  that  house,  he 
told  them  of  a  plan  he  had  formed,  on  the  spur  of 
the  moment.  After  giving  them  careful  instructions 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  191 

how  to  proceed,  he  left  them  and  requested  that  the 
street  door  might  be  opened  for  him.  A  crowd  im- 
mediately rushed  in,  as  he  had  foreseen  would  be  the 
case.  He  affected  to  be  greatly  displeased,  and  or- 
dered the  men  of  the  house  to  turn  all  the  intruders 
out.  They  obeyed  him;  and  among  the  number 
turned  out  were  the* two  fugitives.  It  was  dark,  and 
in  the  confusion,  the  watchman  on  guard  could  not 
distingush  them  among  the  multitude. 

Friend  Hopper  had  hastily  consigned  them  to  his 
son,  with  instructions  to  take  them  to  his  house  ;  and 
the  watchman,  seeing  that  he  himself  remained  about 
the  premises,  took  it  for  granted  that  the  fugitives 
had  not  escaped, 

As  soon  as  it  was  practicable,  Friend  Hopper  re- 
turned home,  where  he  found  the  woman  and  her 
son  in  a  state  of  great  agitation.  He  immediately 
sent  her  to  a  place  of  greater  safety,  and  gave  the 
son  a  letter  to  a  farmer  thirty  miles  up  in  the  coun- 
try. He  went  directly  to  the  river  Schuylkill,  but 
was  afraid  to  cross  the  bridge,  lest  some  person 
should  be  stationed  there  to  arrest  him.  He  accord- 
ingly walked  along  the  margin  of  the  river  till  he 
found  a  small  boat,  in  which  he  crossed  the  stream. 
Following  the  directions  he  had  received,  he  arrived 
at  the  farmer's  house,  where  he  had  a  kindly  wel- 
come, and  obtained  employment. 

The  master  being  unable  to  recapture  his  slaves, 


192  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

called  upon  Isaac  T.  Hopper  to  inquire  if  he  knew 
anything  about  them.  He  coolly  replied,  ".I  believe 
they  are  doing  very  well.  From  what  I  hear,  [ 
judge  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  give  thyself  any 
further  trouble  on  their  account." 

"There  is  no  use  in  trying  to  capture  a  runaway 
slave  in  Philadelphia,"  rejoined  the  master.  "I  be- 
lieve the  devil  himself  could  not  catch  them  when 
they  once  get  here." 

"That  is  very  likely,"  answered  Friend  Hopper. 
"But  I  think  he  would  have  less  difficulty  in  catch- 
ing the  masters  ;  being  so  much  more  familiar  with 
them." 

Sixty  dollars  had  already  been  expended  in  vain  ; 
and  the  slave-holder,  having  relinquished  all  hope  of 
tracing  the  fugitives,  finally  agreed  to  manumit  the 
woman  for  fifty  dollars,  and  her  son  for  seventy-five 
dollars.  These  sums  were  advanced  by  two  citizens 
friendly  to  the  colored  people,  and  the  emancipated 
slaves  repaid  them  by  faithful  service. 

THE  SLAVE  OF  DR.  RICH. 

In  the  autumn  of  1828,  Dr.  Rich  of  Maryland 
came  to  Philadelphia  with  his  wife,  who  was  the 
daughter  of  an  Episcopal  clergyman  in  that  city,  by 
the  name  of  Wiltbank.  She  brought  a  slave  to  wait 
upon  her,  intending  to  remain  at  her  father's  until 
after  the  birth  of  her  child,  which  was  soon  expected 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  193 

to  take  place.  When  they  had  been  there  a  few 
months,  the  slave  was  informed  by  some  colored 
acquaintance  that  she  was  free  in  consequence  of  be- 
ing- brought  to  Philadelphia.  She  called  to  consult 
with  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  and  seemed  very  much  disap- 
pointed to  hear  that  a  residence  of  six  months  was 
necessary  to  entitle  her  to  freedom;  that  her  master 
was  doubtless  aware  of  that  circumstance,  arid  would 
probably  guard  against  it. 

After  some  minutes  of  anxious  reflection,  she  said, 
"Then  there  is  nothing  left  for  me  to  do  but  to  run 
away  ;  for  I  am  determined  never  to  go  back  to  Ma- 
ryland." 

Friend  Hopper  inquired  whether  she  thought  it 
would  be  right  to  leave  her  mistress  without  any  one 
to  attend  upon  her,  in  the  situation  she  then  was. 
She  replied  that  she  felt  no  scruples  on  that  point, 
for  her  master  was  wealthy,  and  could  hire  as  many 
servants  as  he  pleased.  Finding  her  mind  entirely 
made  up  on  the  subject,  he  gave  her  such  instruc- 
tions as  seemed  suited  to  the  occasion. 

The  next  morning  she  was  not  to  be  found ;  and 
Dr.  Rich  went  in  search  of  her,  with  his  father-in- 
law,  Mr.  Wiltbank.  Having  frightened  some  igno- 
rant colored  people  where  she  visited,  by  threats  of 
prosecuting  them  for  harboring  a  runaway,  they  con- 
fessed that  she  had  gone  from  their  house  to  Isaac 
T.  Hopper.  Mr.  Wiltbank  accordingly  waited  upon 


194  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

him,  and  after  relating  the  circumstances  of  the  case, 
inquired  whether  he  had  seen  the  fugitive.  In  reply, 
he  made  a  frank  statement  of  the  interview  he  had 
with  her,  and  of  her  fixed  determination  to  obtain 
her  freedom.  The  clergyman  reproached  her  with 
ingratitude,  and  said  she  had  always  been  treated 
with  great  kindness. 

"The  woman  herself  gives  a  very  different  ac- 
count of  her  treatment,"  replied  Friend  Hopper; 
"but  be  that  as  it  may,  I  cannot  blame  her  for 
wishing  to  obtain  her  liberty." 

He  asked  if  Friend  Hopper  knew  where  she  then 
was ;  and  he  answered  that  he  did  not.  "  Could  you 
find  her,  if  you  tried?"  inquired  he. 

"  I  presume  I  could  do  it  very  easily,"  rejoined  the 
Quaker.  "The  colored  people  never  wish  to  secrete 
themselves  from  me ;  for  they  know  I  am  their  true 
friend." 

Mr.  Wiltbank  then  said,  "  If  you  will  cause  her  to 
be  brought  to  your  house,  Dr.  Rich  and  myself  will 
come  here  at  eight  o'clock  this  evening.  You  will 
then  hear  her  ask  her  master's  pardon,  acknowledge 
the  kindness  with  which  she  has  always  been  treated, 
and  express  her  readiness  to  go  home  with  him." 

Friend  Hopper  indignantly  replied,  "I  have  no 
doubt  that  fear  might  induce  her  to  profess  all  thou 
hast  said.  But  what  trait  hast  thou  discovered  in 
«ny  character,  that  leads  thee  to  suppose  I  would 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  195 

be  such  a  hypocrite  as  to  betray  the  confidence  this 
poor  woman  has  reposed  in  me,  by  placing  her  in 
the  power  of  her  master,  in  the  way  thou  hast  pro- 
posed ? " 

Mr.  Wiltbank  then  requested  that  a  message 
might  be  conveyed  to  the  woman,  exhorting  her 
to  return,  and  promising  that  no  notice  whatever 
would  be  taken  of  her  offence. 

"  She  shall  be  informed  of  thy  message,  if  that 
will  be  any  satisfaction  to  thee,"  replied  Friend 
Hopper;  "but  I  am  perfectly  sure  she  will  never 
voluntarily  return  into  slavery." 

Dr.  Rich  and  Mr.  Wiltbank  called  in  the  evening, 
and  were  told  the  message  had  been  delivered  to 
the  woman,  but  she  refused  to  return.  "She  is  in 
your  house  now,"  exclaimed  Dr.  Rich.  "I  can 
prove  it ;  and  if  you  don't  let  me  see  her,  I  will 
commence  a  suit  against  you  to-morrow,  for  har- 
boring my  slave." 

"  I  believe  Solomon  Low  resides  in  thy  neighbor- 
hood," said  Friend  Hopper.  "Art  thou  acquainted 
with  him?" 

Being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  said,  "  Solo- 
mon Low  brought  three  such  suits  as  thou  hast 
threatened.  They  cost  him  seventeen  hundred  dol- 
lars, which  I  heard  he  was  unable  to  pay.  But 
perhaps  thou  hast  seventeen  hundred  dollars  to 
spare  ? " 


196  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Dr.  Rich  answered  that  he  could  well  afford  to 
lose  that  sum. 

"Very  well,"  rejoined  his  opponent.  "There  are 
lawyers  enough  wrho  need  it,  and  still  more  who 
would  be  glad  to  have  it." 

Finding  it  alike  impossible  to  coax  or  intimidate 
the  resolute  Quaker,  they  withdrew.  About  eleven 
o'clock  at  night,  some  of  the  family  informed  Friend 
Hopper  that  there  was  a  man  continually  walking 
back  and  forth  in  front  of  the  house.  He  went  out 
and  accosted  him  thus  :  "  Friend,  art  thou  watching 
my  house?"  When  the  stranger  replied  that  he 
was,  he  said,  "  It  is  very  kind  in  thee ;  but  I  really 
do  not  think  there  is  any  occasion  for  thy  services. 
I  am  quite  satisfied  with  the  watchmen  employed  by 
the  public." 

The  man  answered  gruffly,  "I  have  taken  my 
stand,  and  I  intend  to  keep  it." 

Friend  Hopper  told  him  he  had  no  objection  ;  and 
he  was  about  to  re-enter  the  house,  when  he  ob- 
served Dr.  Rich,  who  was  so  wrapped  up  in  a  large 
cloak,  that  at  first  he  did  not  recognize  him.  He 
exclaimed,  "Why  doctor,  art  thou  here  !  Is  it  pos- 
sible thou  art  parading  the  streets  so  late  in  the 
night,  at  this  cold  season  of  the  year  ?  Now,  from 
motives  of  kindness,  I  do  assure  thee  thy  slave  is  not 
in  my  house.  To  save  Jhee  from  exposing  thy  health 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  197 

by  watching  at  this  inclement  season,  I  will  give  thee 
leave  to  search  the  house." 

The  doctor  replied,  "I  shall  obtain  a  warrant  in 
the  morning,  and  search  it  with  the  proper  officer." 

"There  appear  to  be  several  on  the  watch,"  said 
Friend  Hopper ;  "and  it  surely  is  not-necessary  for  all 
of  them  to  be  out  in  the  cold  at  the  same  time.  If 
thou  wilt  be  responsible  that  nothing  shall  be  stolen, 
thou  art  welcome  to  use  my  parlor  as  a  watch- 
house."  This  offer  was  declined  with  freezing  civili- 
ty, and  Friend  Hopper  returned  to  his  dwelling. 
Passing  through  the  kitchen,  he  observed  two  co- 
lored domestics  talking  together  in  an  under  tone, 
apparently  planning  something  which  made  them 
very  merry.  Judging  from  some  words  he  over- 
heard, that  they  had  a  mischievous  scheme  on 
foot,  he  resolved  to  watch  their  movements  without 
letting  them  know  that  he  noticed  them.  One  of 
them  put  on  an  old  cloak  and  bonnet,  opened  the 
front  door  cautiously,  looked  up  the  street  and  down 
the  street,  but  saw  nobody.  The  watchers  had  seen 
the  dark  face  the  moment  it  peeped  out,  and  they 
were  lying  in  ambush  to  observe  her  closely.  After 
a  minute  of  apparent  hesitation,  she  rushed  into  the 
street  and  ran  with  all  speed.  They  joined  in  hot 
pursuit,  and  soon  overtook  her.  She  pretended  to 
be  greatly  alarmed,  and  called  aloud  for  a  watch- 
man. The  offenders  were  arrested  and  brought  back 


198  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

to  the  house  with  the  girl.  Friend  Hopper  explained 
that  these  men  had  been  watching  his  house,  suppos- 
ing a  fugitive  slave  to  be  secreted  there  ;  and  that 
they  had  mistaken  one  of  his  domestics  for  the  per- 
son they  were  in  search  of.  After  laughing  a  little 
at  the  joke  practised  upon  them,  he  proposed  that 
they  should  be  set  at  liberty  ;  and  they  were  accord- 
ingly released. 

The  next  morning,  a  soon  as  it  was  light,  he  in- 
vited the  watchers  to  come  in  and  wrarm  themselves  ; 
but  they  declined.  After  sunrise,  they  all  dispersed, 
except  two.  When  breakfast  was  ready,  he  urged 
them  to  come  in  and  partake  ;  telling  them  that  one 
could  keep  guard  while  the  other  was  eating.  But 
they  replied  that  Dr.  Rich  had  ordered  them  to  hold 
no  communication  with  him. 

Being  firmly  persuaded  that  the  slave  was  in  the 
house,  they  kept  sentry  several  days  and  nights. 
For  fear  she  might  escape  by  the  back  way,  a  mes- 
senger was  sent  to  Mr.  Warrence,  who  occupied  a 
building  in  the  rear,  offering  to  pay  him  for  his  trou- 
ble if  he  wTould  watch  the  premises  in  that  direction. 
His  wife  happened  to  overhear  the  conversation  ;  and 
having  a  pitcher  of  scalding  water  in  her  hand,  she 
ran  out  saying,  "Do  you  propose  to  hire  my  hus- 
band to  watch  neighbor  Hopper's  premises  for  a  run- 
away slave  ?  Go  about  your  business !  or  I  will 
throw  this  in  vour  face." 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  199 

When  Dr.  Rich  called  again,  he  was  received  po- 
litely, and  the  first  inquiry  was  how  he  had  succeed- 
ed in  his  efforts  to  procure  a  search-warrant.  He 
replied,  "The  magistrate  refused  to  grant  one." 

"Perhaps  Joseph  Reed,  the  Recorder,  would 
oblige  thee  in  that  matter,"  said  Friend  Hopper. 

The  answer  was,  "I  have  been  to  him,  and  he 
declines  to  interfere." 

It  \vas  then  suggested  that  it  might  be  well  to  re- 
tain a  lawyer  with  a  portion  of  the  seventeen  hun- 
dred dollars  he  said  he  had  to  spare. 

"I  have  been  to  Mr.  Broome,"  rejoined  the  doc- 
tor. "He  tells  me  that  you  understand  the  law  in 
such  cases  as  well  as  he  does  ;  and  he  advises  me  to 
let  the  matter  alone." 

"I  will  give  thee  permission  to  search  my  house," 
said  Friend  Hopper;  "and  I  have  more  authority  in 
that  matter  than  any  magistrate,  judge,  or  lawyer, 
in  the  city." 

"  That  is  very  gentlemanly,"  replied  the  doctor ; 
"but  I  infer  from  it  that  the  woman  is  not  in  your 
house." 

He  was  again  assured  that  she  was  not ;  and  they 

ell  into  some  general  discourse  on  the  subject  of 

lavery.     "  Suppose  you  came  to  Maryland  and  lost 

your  horse,"  said  the  Doctor.     "If  you  called  upon 

me,  and  I  told  you  that  I  knew  where  he  was,  but 

would  not  inform  you,  would  you  consider  yourself 


200  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

treated  kindly  ?"  "In  such  a  case,  I  should  not  con- 
sider my  self  well  treated,"  replied  Friend  Hopper. 
"  But  in  this  part  of  the  country,  we  make  a  distinc- 
tion between  horses  and  men.  We  believe  that  hu- 
man beings  have  souls." 

"That  makes  no  difference,"  rejoined  the  Doctor. 
"You  confess  that  you  could  find  my  slave  if  you 
were  so  disposed ;  and  I  consider  it  your  duty  to  tell 
me  where  she  is."  "I  will  do  it  when  I  am  of  the 
same  opinion,"  replied  Friend  Hopper;  "but  till 
then  thou  must  excuse  me." 

The  fugitive  was  protected  by  a  colored  man  nam- 
ed Hill,  who  soon  obtained  a  situation  for  her  as  ser- 
vant in  a  respectable  country  family,  where  she  was 
kindly  treated.  In  the  course  of  a  year  or  two,  she 
returned  to  Philadelphia,  married  a  steady  industri- 
ous man,  and  lived  very  comfortably. 

Mr.  Hill  had  a  very  revengeful  temper.  One  of 
his  colored  neighbors  brought  suits  against  him  for 
criminal  conduct,  and  recovered  heavy  damages. 
From  that  time  he  seemed  to  hate  people  of  his  own 
complexion,  and  omitted  no  opportunity  to  injure 
them.  The  woman  he  befriended,  when  he  was  in  a 
better  state  of  mind,  had  been  married  nine  or  ten 
years,  and  had  long  ceased  to  think  of  danger,  when 
he  formed  the  wicked  project  of  making  a  little 
money  by  betraying  her  to  her  master.  Accordingly 
he  sought  her  residence  accompanied  by  one  of  those 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  201 

wretches  who  make  a  business  of  capturing  slaves. 
When  he  entered  her  humble  abode,  he  found  her 
busy  at  the  wash-tub.  Rejoiced  to  see  the  man  who 
had  rendered  her  such  essential  service  in  time  of 
need,  she  threw  her  arms  about  his  neck,  exclaiming, 
"  O,  uncle  Hill,  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you  !"  She 
hastily  set  aside  her  tub,  wiped  up  the  floor,  and 
thinking  there  was  nothing  in  the  house  good  enough 
for  her  benefacter,  she  went  out  to  purchase  some 
little  luxuries.  Hill  recommended  a  particular  shop, 
and  proposed  to  accompany  her.  The  slave-hunter, 
who  had  been  left  in  the  street,  received  a  private 
signal,  and  the  moment  she  entered  the  shop,  he 
pounced  upon  her.  Before  her  situation  could  be 
made  known  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  she  was  removed 
to  Baltimore.  The  last  he  ever  heard  of  her  she 
was  in  prison  there,  awaiting  her  day  of  sale,  when 
she  was  to  be  transported  to  New-Orleans. 

He  used  to  say  he  did  not  know  which  was  the 
most  dificult-  for  his  mind  to  conceive  of,  the  cruel 
depravity  manifested  by  the  ignorant  colored  man, 
or  the  unscrupulous  selfishness  of  the  slaveholder,  a 
man  of  education,  a  husband  and  a  father,  who 
could  consent  to  use  such  a  tool  for  such  a  purpose. 

Many  more  naratives  of  similar  character  might 
be  added ;  for  I  think  he  estimated  at  more  than  one 
thousand  the  number  of  cases  in  which  he  had  been 

employed  for  fugitives,  in  one  way  or  another,  during 
9* 


202  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

his  forty  years'  residence  in  Philadelphia.  But 
enough  have  been  told  to  illustrate  the  active  benevo- 
lence, uncompromising  boldness,  and  ready  wit, 
which  characterized  this  friend  of  humanity.  His 
accurate  knowledge  of  all  laws  connected  with  slave- 
ry was  so  proverbial,  that  magistrates  and  lawyers 
were  generally  averse  to  any  collision  with  him  on 
such  subjects. 

In  1810,  Benjamin  Donahue  of  Delaware  applied 
to  Mr.  Barker,  mayor  of  Philadelphia,  to  assist  him 
in  recovering  a  fugitive,  with  whose  place  of  resi- 
dence he  was  perfectly  sure  Isaac  T.  Hopper  was  ac- 
quainted. After  a  brief  correspondence  with  Friend 
Hopper,  the  mayor  said  to  Mr.  Donahue,  "We  had 
better  drop  this  business,  like  a  hot  potato  ;  for  Mr. 
Hopper  knows  more  law  in  such  cases  as  this,  than 
you  and  I  put  together." 

He  would  often  resort  to  the  most  unexpected  ex- 
pedients. Upon  one  occasion,  a  slave  case  was 
brought  before  Judge  Rush,  brother  of  Dr.  Benjamin 
Rush.  It  seemed  likely  to  terminate  in  favor  of  the 
slaveholder ;  but  Friend  Hopper  thought  he  observed 
that  the  judge  wavered  a  little.  He  seized  that  mo- 
ment to  inquire,  "  Hast  thou  not  recently  published 
a  legal  opinion,  in  which  it  is  distinctly  stated  that 
thou  wouldst  never  seek  to  sustain  a  human  law,  if 
thou  wert  convinced  that  it  conflicted  with  any  law 
in  the  Bible?" 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  203 

"I  did  publish  such  a  statement,"  replied  Judge 
Rush;  "and  I  am  ready  to  abide  by  it ;  for  in  all 
cases,  I  consider  the  divine  law  above  the  human." 

Friend  Hopper  drew  from  his  pocket  a  small  Bi- 
ble, which  he  had  brought  into  court  for  the  express 
purpose,  and  read  in  loud  distinct  tones  the  follow- 
ing verses  :  "Thou  shalt  not  deliver  unto  his  master 
the  servant  which  is  escaped  from  his  master  unto 
thee  :  He  shall  dwell  with  thee,  even  among  you,  in 
that  place  which  he  shall  choose,  in  one  of  thy  gates, 
where  it  liketh  him  best :  thou  shalt  not  oppress 
him."  Deut.  23  :  15,  16. 

The  slaveholder  smiled  ;  supposing  this  appeal  to 
old  Hebrew  law  would  be  considered  as  little  appli- 
cable to  modern  times,  as  the  command  to  stone  a 
man  to  death  for  picking  up  sticks  on  the  Sabbath. 
But  when  the  judge  asked  for  the  book,  read  the 
sentence  for  himself,  seemed  impressed  by  it,  and  ad- 
journed the  decision  of  the  case,  he  walked  out  of 
the  court-house  muttering,  "I  believe  in  my  soul 
the  old  fool  will  let  him  off  on  that  ground."  And 
sure  enough,  the  slave  was  discharged. 

Friend  Hopper's  quickness  in  slipping  through 
loop-holes,  and  dodging  round  corners,  rendered  him 
exceedingly  troublesome  and  provoking  to  slave- 
holders. He  often  kept  cases  pending  in  court  three 
or  four  years,  till  the  claimants  were  completely 
wearied  out,  and  ready  to  settle  on  any  terms.  His 


204  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

acute  perception  of  the  slightest  flaw  in  a  document, 
or  imperfection  in  evidence,  always  attracted  notice 
in  the.  courts  he  attended.  Judges  and  lawyers  of- 
ten remarked  to  him,  "Mr.  Hopper,  it  is  a  great 
pity  you  were  not  educated  for  the  legal  profession. 
You  have  such  a  judicial  mind."  Mr.  William 
Lewis,  an  eminent  lawyer,  offered  him  every  facility 
for  studying  the  profession.  "  Come  to  my  office 
and  use  my  library  whenever  you  please,"  said  he  ; 
"or  I  will  obtain  a  clerkship  in  the  courts  for  you, 
if  you  prefer  that.  Your  mind  is  peculiarly  adapted 
to  legal  investigation,  and  if  you  would  devote  your- 
self to  it,  you  might  become  a  judge  before  long." 

But  Frisnd  Hopper  could  never  overcome  his 
scruples  about  entering  on  a  career  of  worldly  am- 
bition. He  thought  he  had  better  keep  humble,  and 
resist  temptations  that  might  lead  him  out  of  the 
plainness  and  simplicity  of  the  religious  Society  to 
which  he  belonged. 

As  for  the  colored  people  of  Philadelphia,  they 
believed  in  his  infallibility,  as  devout  Catholics  be- 
lieve in  the  Pope.    They  trusted  him,  and  he  trusted 
them  ;  and  it  is  remarkable  in  how  few  instances  he 
found  his  confidence  misplaced.    The  following  anec 
dote   will  illustrate  the  nature  of  the  relation  ex 
isting  between  him  and   that   much   abused   race. 
Prince    Hopkins,    a  wood-sawyer   of    Philadelphia, 
was  claimed  as  a  fugitive  slave  by  John  Kinsmore 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  205 

of  Baltimore.  When  Friend  Hopper  went  to  the 
magistrate's  office  to  inquire  into  the  affair,  he  found 
the  poor  fellow  in  tears.  He  asked  for  a  private  in- 
terview, and  the  alderman  gave  his  consent.  When 
they  were  alone,  Prince  confessed  that  he  was  the 
slave  in  question.  In  the  course  of  his  narrative,  it 
appeared  that  he  had  been  sent  into  Pennsylvania 
by  his  mistress,  and  had  resided  there  with  a  relative 
of  hers  two  years.  Friend  Hopper  told  him  to  dry 
up  his  tears,  for  it  was  in  his  power  to  protect  him. 
When  he  returned  to  the  office,  he  informed  the 
magistrate  that  Prince  Hopkins  was  a  free  man  ; 
having  resided  in  Pennsylvania,  with  the  consent  of 
his  mistress,  a  'much  longer  time  than  the  law  re- 
quired. Mr.  Kinsmore  was  irritated,  and  demanded 
that  the  colored  man  should  be  imprisoned  till  he 
could  obtain  legal  advice. 

"Let  him  go  and  finish  the  wood  he  was  sawing," 
said  Friend  Hopper.  "I  will  be  responsible  for  his 
appearance  whenever  he  is  wanted.  If  the  magis- 
trate will  give  me  a  commitment,  Prince  will  call 
at  my  house  after  he  has  finished  sawing  his  wood, 
and  I  will  send  him  to  jail  with  it.  He  can  re- 
riain  there,  until  the  facts  I  have  stated  are  clearly 
proved." 

The  slave-holder  and  his  lawyer  seemed  to  regard 
tliis  proposition  as  an  insult.  They  railed  at  Friend 
Hopper  for  his  "impertinent  interference,"  and  for 


206  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

the  absurd  idea  of  trusting  "that  nigger"  under  such 
circumstances. 

He  replied,  "  I  would  rather  trust  '  that  nigger/  as 
you  call  him,  than  either  of  you."  So  saying,  he 
inarched  off  with  the  magistrate's  mittimus  in  his 
pocket. 

When  Prince  Hopkins  had  finished  his  job  of 
sawing,  he  called  for  the  commitment,  and  carried 
it  to  the  jailor,  who  locked  him  up.  Satisfactory 
evidence  of  his  freedom  was  soon  obtained,  and  he 
was  discharged. 

The  colored  people  appeared  to  better  advantage 
with  their  undoubted  friend,  than  they  possibly  could 
have  done  where  a  barrier  of  prejudice  existed.  They 
were  not  afraid  to  tell  him  their  experiences  in  their 
own  way,  with  natural  pathos,  here  and  there  dashed 
with  fun.  A  fine-looking,  athletic  fugitive,  telling 
him  his  story  one  day,  said,  "When  I  first  run  away, 
I  met  some  people  who  were  dreadful  afraid  I  could 
n't  take  care  of  myself.  But  thinks  I  to  myself  I 
took  care  of  master  and  myself  too  for  a  long  spell ; 
and  I  guess  I  can  make  out."  With  a  roguish  ex- 
pression laughing  all  over  his  face,  he  added,  "I 
don't  look  as  if  I  was  suffering  for  a  master ;  do  I, 
Mr.  Hopper?" 

Though  slaveholders  had  abundant  reason  to  dread 
Isaac  T.  Hopper,  as  they  would  a  blister  of  Spanish 
flies,  yet  he  had  no  hardness  of  feeling  toward  them, 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  207 

or  even  toward  kidnappers ;  hateful  as  he  deemed 
the  system,  which  produced  them  both. 

In  1801,  a  sober  industrious  family  of  free  colored 
people,  living  in  Pennsylvania  on  the  borders  of 
Maryland,  were  attacked  in  the  night  by  a  band  of 
kidnappers.  The  parents  were  aged,  and  needed 
the  services  of  their  children  for  support.  Knowing 
that  the  object  of  the  marauders  was  to  carry  them 
off  and  sell  them  to  slave  speculators,  the  old  father 
defended  them  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  In  the 
struggle,  he  was  wounded  by  a  pistol,  and  one  of  his 
daughters  received  a  shot,  which  caused  her  death. 
One  of  the  sons,  who  was  very  ill  in  bed,  was  beaten 
and  bruised  till  he  was  covered  with  blood.  But 
mangled  and  crippled  as  he  was,  he  contrived  to 
drag  himself  to  a  neighboring  barn,  and  hide  him- 
self under  the  straw. 

If  such  lawless  violence  had  been  practised  upon 
any  white  citizens,  the  Executive  of  Pennsylvania 
would  have  immediately  offered  a  high  reward  for 
the  apprehension  of  the  aggressors;  but  the  victims 
belonged  to  a  despised  caste,  and  nothing  was  done 
to  repair  their  wrongs.  Friend  Hopper  felt  the 
blood  boil  in  his  veins  when  he  heard  of  this  cruel 
outrage,  and  his  first  wish  was  to  have  the  offenders 
punished ;  but  as  soon  as  he  had  time  to  reflect, 
he  said,  "I  cannot  find  it  in  my  heart  to  urge  this 
subject  upon  the  notice  of  the  Executive ;  for  death 


208  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

would  be  the  penalty  if  those  wretches  were  con- 
victed." 

There  were  many  highly  respectable  individuals 
among  the  colored  people  of  Philadelphia.  Richard 
Allen,  who  had  been  a  slave,  purchased  freedom 
with  the  proceeds  of  his  own  industry.  He  married 
and  established  himself  as  a  shoemaker  in  that  city 
where  he  acquired  considerable  property,  and  built  a 
three-story  brick  house.  He  was  the  principal  agent 
in  organizing  the  first  congregation  of  colored  people 
in  Philadelphia,  and  was  their  pastor  to  the  day  of 
his  death,  without  asking  or  receiving  any  compen- 
sation. During  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  he  \vas 
Bishop  of  their  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Ab- 
salom Jones,  a  much  respected  colored  man,  was 
his  colleague.  In  1793,  when  the  yellow  fever  was 
raging,  it  was  extremely  .  difficult  to  procure  at- 
tendants for  the  sick  on  any  terms  ;  and  the  few 
who  would  consent  to  render  service,  demanded  ex- 
orbitant prices.  But  Bishop  Allen  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Jones  never  hesitated  to  go  wherever  they  could  be 
useful ;  and  with  them  the  compensation  was  always 
a  secondary  consideration.  When  the  pestilence  had 
abated,  the  mayor  sent  them  a  certificate  expressing 
his  approbation  of  their  conduct.  But  even  these 
men,  whose  worth  commanded  respect,  were  not  safe 
from  the  legalized  ctirse  that  rests  upon  their  hunted 
race.  A  Southern  speculator  arrested  Bishop  Allen, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  209 

and  claimed  him  as  a  fugitive  slave,  whom  he  had 
bought  running.  The  constable  employed  to  serve 
the  warrant  was  ashamed  to  drag  the  good  man 
through  the  streets ;  and  he  merely  said,  in  a  re- 
spectful tone,  "  Mr.  Allen,  you  will  soon  come  down 
to  Alderman  Todd's  office,  will  you?" 

The  fugitive,  whom  they  were  seeking,  had  ab- 
sconded only  four  years  previous  ;  and  everybody  in 
Philadelphia  knew  that  Richard  Allen  had  been 
living  there  more  than  twenty  years.  Yet  the  specu- 
lator and  his  sons  swore  unblushingly  that  he  was 
the  identical  slave  they  had  purchased.  Mr.  Allen 
thought  he  ought  to  have  some  redress  for  this  out- 
rage ;  "For,"  said  he,  "if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
kindness  of  the  officer,  I  might  have  been  dragged 
through  the  streets  like  a  felon." 

Isaac  T.  Hopper  was  consulted,  and  a  civil  suit 
commenced.  Eight  hundred  dollars  bail  was  de- 
manded, and  the  speculator,  being  unable  to  procure 
it,  was  lodged  in  the  debtor's  prison.  When  he  had 
been  there  three  months,  Mr.  Allen  caused  him  to  be 
discharged  ;  saying  he  did  not  wish  to  persecute  the 
man,  but  merely  to  teach  him  not  to  take  up  free 
people  again,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  them  into 
slavery. 

The  numerous  instances  of  respectability  among 
the  colored  people  were  doubtless  to  be  attributed  in 
part  to  the  protecting  influence  extended  over  them 


210  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

by  the  Quakers.     But  even  in  those  days,  the  Socie- 
ty of  Friends  were  by  no  means  all  free  from  preju- 
dice against  color ;  and  in  later  times,  I  think  they 
have  not  proved  themselves  at  all  superior  to  other 
sects  in  their  feelings  and  practice  on  this  subject. 
Friend  Hopper,  Joseph  Carpenter,  and  the  few  wlo 
resemble  them  in  this  respect,  are  exceptions  to  tl  e 
general  character  of  modern  Quakers,  not  the  rule. 
The   following  very  characteristic  anecdote  shows 
how  completely  Isaac  was  free  from  prejudice  on  ac- 
count of  complexion.     It  is  an  unusual  thing  to  see 
a  colored  Quaker ;  for  the  African  temperament  is 
fervid  and  impressible,  and  requires  more  exciting 
forms  of  religion.     David  Maps  and  his  wife,  a  very 
worthy  couple,  were  the  only  colored  members  of 
the  Yearly  Meeting  to  which  Isaac  T.  Hopper  be- 
longed.    On  the  occasion  of  the  annual  gathering  in 
Philadelphia,  they  came  with  other  members  of  the 
Society  to    share  the  hospitality  of  his  house.     A 
question   arose    in  the  family  whether    Friends  of 
white  complexion  would  object  to  eating  with  them. 
"Leave  that  to  me,"  said  the  master  of  the  house- 
hold.    Accordingly  when  the  time  arrived,  he  an- 
nounced it  thus:  "Friends,    dinner    is  now  ready 
David  Maps  and  his  wife  will  come  with  me  ;  and  ;  s 
[  like  to  have  all  accommodated,  those  who  object  to 
dining  with  them  can  wait  till  they  have  done."    The 
guests  smiled,  and  all  seated  themselves  at  the  table. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  211 

The  conscientiousness  so  observable  in  several 
anecdotes  of  Isaac's  boyhood  was  strikingly  mani- 
fested in  his  treatment  of  a  colored  printer,  named 
Kane.  This  man  was  noted  for  his  profane  swearing. 
Friend  Hopper  had  expostulated  with  him  concerning 
this  bad  habit,  without  producing  the  least  effect. 
One  day,  he  encountered  him  in  the  street,  pouring 
forth  a  volley  of  terrible  oaths,  enough  to  make  one 
shudder.  Believing  him  incurable  by  gentler  means, 
he  took  him  before  a  magistrate,  who  fined  him  for 
blasphemy. 

He  did  not  see  the  man  again  for  a  long  time  ;  but 
twenty  years  afterward,  when  he  was  standing  at 
his  door,  Kane  passed  by.  The  Friend's  heart  was 
touched  by  his  appearance ;  for  he  looked  old, 
feeble,  and  poor.  He  stepped  out,  shook  hands 
with  him,  and  said  in  kindly  tones,  "Dost  thou 
remember  me,  and  how  I  caused  thee  to  be  fined 
for  swearing  ? " 

"Yes,  indeed  I  do,"  he  replied.  "I  remember 
how  many  dollars  I  paid,  as  well  as  if  it  were  but 
yesterday." 

"  Did  it  do  thee  any  good  ; "  inquired  Friend  Hop- 
per. 

"  Never  a  bit,"  answered  he.  "  It  only  made  me 
mad  to  have  my  money  taken  from  me." 

The  poor  man  was  invited  to  walk  into  the  house. 
The  interest  was  calculated  on  the  fine,  and  every 


212  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

cent  repaid  to  him.  "I  meant  it  for  thy  good,"  said 
the  benevolent  Quaker  ;  "  and  I  am  sorry  that  I  only 
provoked  thee."  Kane's  countenance  changed  at 
once,  and  tears  began  to  flow.  He  took  the  money 
with  many  thanks,  and  was  never  again  heard  to 
swear. 

Friend  Hopper's  benevolence  was  by  no  means 
confined  to  colored  people.  Wherever  there  was 
good  to  be  done,  his  heart  and  hand  were  ready. 
From  various  anecdotes  in  proof  of  this,  I  select  the 
following. 

JOHN  Me  GRIER. 

John  was  an  Irish  orphan,  whose  parents  died  of 
yellow  fever,  when  he  was  very  young.  He  obtain- 
ed a  scanty  living  by  doing  errands  for  cartmen.  In 
the  year  1600,  when  he  was  about  fourteen  years 
old,  there  was  a  long  period  during  which  he  could 
obtain  scarcely  any  employment.  Being  without 
friends,  and  in  a  state  of  extreme  destitution,  he  was 
tempted  to  enter  a  shop  and  steal  two  dollars  from 
the  drawer.  He  was  pursued  and  taken.  Isaac  T. 
Hopper,  who  was  one  of  the  inspectors  of  the  prison 
at  that  time,  saw  a  crowd  gathered,  and  went  to  in- 
quire the  cause.  The  poor  boy's  history  was  soon 
told.  Friend  Hopper  liked  the  expression  of  his 
countenance,  and  pitied  his  forlorn  condition.  When 
he  was  brought  up  for  trial,  he  accompanied  him, 


LIFE    OF.  ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  w  213 

and  pleaded  with  the  judge  in  his  favor.     He  urged 
that  the  poor  child's  education  had  been  entirely 
neglected,  and  consequently  he  was  more  to  be  pitied 
than  blamed.     If  sent  to  prison,  he  would  in  all  pro- 
bability become  hardened,  if  not  utterly  ruined.     He 
said  if  the  judge  would  allow  him  to  take  charge  of 
the  lad,   he  would   promise  to  place  him  in  good 
hands,  where  he  would  be  out  of  the  way  of  tempta- 
tion.    The  judge  granted  his  request,  and  John  was 
placed  in  prison  merely  for  a  few  days,  till  Friend 
Hopper  could  provide  for  him.     He  proposed  to  his 
father  to  have  the  boy  bound  to  him.     The  old  gen- 
tleman hesitated  at  first,  on  account  of  his  neglected 
education  and  wild  way  of  living ;  but  pity  for  the 
orphan  overcame  his  scruples,  and  he  agreed  to  take 
him.     John  lived  with  him  till  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  and  was  remarkably  faithful  and  in- 
dustrious.    But   about  two  years  after,   a  neighbor 
came  one  night  to   arrest  him  for  stealing  a  horse. 
Old  Mr.  Hopper  assured  him  it  was  not  possible 
John  had  done  such  a  thing ;  that  during  all  the  time 
he  had  lived  in  his  family  he  had  proved  himself  en- 
tirely honest  and  trustworthy.    The  neighbor  replied 
that  his  horse  had   been  taken  to   Philadelphia  and 
sold  ;  and  the  ferryman  from  Woodbury  was  ready 
to  swear  that  the  animal  was  brought  over  by  Hop- 
per's John,  as  he  was  generally  called.     John  was  in 
bed,  but  was  called  up  to  answer  the  accusation 


214  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

He  did  not  attempt  to  deny  it,  but  gave  up  the  money 
at  once,  and  kept  repeating  that  he  did  know  what 
made  him  do  it.  He  was  dreadfully  ashamed  and 
distressed.  He  begged  that  Friend  Isaac  would  not 
come  to  see  him  in  prison,  for  he  could  not  look  him 
the  face.  His  anguish  of  mind  was  so  great,  that 
when  the  trial  came  on,  he  was  emaciated  almost  to 
a  skeleton.  Old  Mr.  Hopper  went  into  court  and 
stated  the  adverse  circumstances  of  his  early  life, 
and  his  exemplary  conduct  during  nine  years  that  he 
had  lived  in  his  family.  He  begged  that  he  might 
be  fined  instead  of  imprisoned,  and  offered  to  pay 
the  fine  himself.  The  proposition  was  accepted,  and 
the  kind  old  man  took  the  culprit  home. 

This  lenient  treatment  completely  subdued  the 
last  vestige  of  evil  habits  acquired  in  childhood.  He 
was  humble  and  grateful  in  the  extreme,  and  always 
steady  and  industrious.  He  conducted  with  great 
propriety  ever  afterward,  and  established  such  a 
character  for  honesty,  that  the  neighbors  far  and 
wide  trusted  him  to  carry  their  produce  to  market, 
receiving  a  small  commission  for  his  trouble.  Even- 
tually, he  came  to  own  a  small  house  and  farm, 
where  he  lived  in  much  comfort  and  respectability. 
He  always  looked  up  to  Isaac  as  the  friend  who  had 
early  raised  him  from  a  downward  and  slippery  path  ; 
and  he  was  never  weary  of  manifesting  gratitude  by 
every  little  attention  he  could  devise. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  215 

LEVI  BUTLER. 

Some  one  having  told  Friend  Hopper  of  an  ap- 
prentice who  was  cruelly  treated,  he  caused  investi- 
gation to  be  made,  and  took  the  lad  under  his  own 
protection.  As  he  was  much  bent  upon  going  to 
sea,  he  was  placed  in  a  respectable  boarding-house 
for  sailors,  till  a  fitting  opportunity  could  be  found 
to  gratify  his  inclination.  One  day,  a  man  in  the 
employ  of  this  boarding-house  brought  a  bill  to  be 
paid  for  the  lad.  He  was  very  ragged,  but  his  man- 
ners were  those  of  a  gentleman,  and  his  conversation 
showed  that  he  had  been  well  educated.  His  ap- 
pearance excited  interest  in  Friend  Hopper's  mind, 
and  he  inquired  into  his  history.  He  said  his  name 
was  Levi  Butler;  that  he  was  of  German  extrac- 
tion, and  had  been  a  wealthy  merchant  in  Baltimore, 
of  the  firm  of  Butler  and  Magruder.  He  married  a 
widow,  who  had  considerable  property,  and  several 
children.  After  her  death,  he  failed  in  business,  and 
gave  up  all  his  own  property,  but  took  the  precau- 
tion to  secure  all  her  property  to  her  children.  His 
creditors  were  angry,  and  tried  various  ways  to  com- 
pel him  to  pay  them  with  his  wife's  money.  He  was 
imprisoned  a  long  time.  He  petitioned  the  Legis- 
lature for  release,  and  the  committee  before  whom 
the  case  was  brought  made  a  report  in  his  favor, 
highly  applauding  his  integrity  in  not  involving  his 


216  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

own  affairs  with  the  property  belonging  to  his  wife's 
children,  who  had  been  intrusted  to  his  care.  Po- 
verty and  persecution  had  broken  down  his  spirits, 
and  when  he  was  discharged  from  prison  he  left  Bal- 
timore and  tried  to  obtain  a  situation  as  clerk  in 
Philadelphia.  He  did  not  succeed  in  procuring  em- 
ployment. His  clothes  became  thread-bare,  and  he 
had  no  money  to  purchase  a  new  suit.  In  this  situa- 
tion, some  people  to  whom  he  applied  for  employ- 
ment treated  him  as  if  he  were  an  impostor.  In  a 
state  of  despair  he  went  one  day  to  drown  himself. 
But  when  he  had  put  some  heavy  stones  in  his  pocket 
to  make  him  sink  rapidly,  he  seemed  to  hear  a  voice 
calling  to  him  to  forbear ;  and  looking  up,  he  saw  a 
man  watching  him.  He  harried  away  to  avoid  ques- 
tions, and  passing  by  a  sailor's  boarding-house,  he 
went  in  and  offered  to  wait  upon  the  boarders  for  his 
food.  They  took  him  upon  those  terms ;  and  the 
gentleman  who  had  been  accustomed  to  ride  in  his 
own  carriage,  and  be  waited  upon  by  servants,  now 
roasted  oysters  and  went  of  errands  for  common  sea- 
men. He  was  in  this  forlorn  situation,  when  acci- 
dent introduced  him  to  Friend  Hopper's  notice.  He 
immediately  furnished  him  with  a  suit  of  warm 
clothes  ;  for  the  weather  was  cold,  and  his  garments 
thin.  He  employed  him  to  post  up  his  account- 
books,  and  finding  that  he  did  it  in  a  very  perfect 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  217 

manner,  he  induced  several  of  his  frienfls  to  employ 
him  in  a  similar  way. 

A  brighter  day  was  dawning  for  the  unfortunate 
man,  and  perhaps  he  might  have  attained  to  comfor- 
table independence,  if  his  health  had  not  failed. 
But  he  had  taken  severe  colds  by  thin  clothing  and 
exposure  to  inclement  weather.  A  rapid  consump- 
tion came  on,  and  he  was  soon  entirely  unable  to 
work.  Under  these  circumstances,  the  best  Friend 
Hopper  could  do  for  him  was  to  secure  peculiar  pri- 
vileges at  the  alms-house,  and  surround  him  with  all 
the  little  comforts  that  help  to  alleviate  illness.  He 
visited  him  very  often,  until  the  day  of  his  death, 
and  his  sympathy  and  kind  attentions  were  always 
received  with  heartfelt  gratitude. 

THE  MUSICAL  BOY. 

ONE  day  when  Friend  Hopper  visited  the  prison, 
he  found  a  dark-eyed  lad  with  a  very  bright  expres- 
sive countenance  His  right  side  was  palsied,  so 
that  the  arm  hung  down  useless.  Attracted  by  his 
intelligent  face,  he  entered  into  conversation  with 
him,  and  found  that  he  had  been  palsied  from  infan- 
cy. He  had  been  sent  forth  friendless  into  the  world 
rom  an  alms-house  in  Maryland.  In  Philadelphia, 
he  had  been  committed  to  prison  as  a  vagrant,  be- 
cause he  drew  crowds  about  him  in  the  street  by  his 

wonderful  talent  of  imitating  a  hand-organ,  merely 
10 


218  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

by  whistling  lunes  through  his  fingers.  Friend  Hop- 
per, who  had  imbibed  the  Quaker  idea  that  music 
was  a  useless  and  frivolous  pursuit,  said  to  the  boy, 
"Didst  thou  not  know  it  was  wrong  to  spend  thy 
time  in  that  idle  manner  ?" 

With  ready  frankness  the  young  prisoner  replied, 
"No,  I  did  not;  and  I  should  like  to  hear  how  you 
can  prove  it  to  be  wrong.  God  has  given  you  sound 
limbs.  Half  of  my  body  is  paralyzed,  and  it  is  im- 
possible for  me  to  work  as  others  do.  It  has  pleas- 
ed God  to  give  me  a  talent  for  music.  I  do  no 
harm  with  it.  It  gives  pleasure  to  myself  and  oth- 
ers, and  enables  me  to  gain  a  few  coppers  to  buy 
my  bread.  I  should  like  to  have  you  show  me 
wherein  it  is  wrong." 

Without  attempting  to  do  so,  Friend  Hopper  sug- 
gested that  perhaps  he  had  been  committed  to  prison 
on  account  of  producing  noise  and  confusion  in  the 
streets. 

"I  make  no  riot,"  rejoined  the  youth.  "I  try  to 
please  people  by  my  tunes  ;  and  if  the  crowd  around 
me  begin  to  be  noisy,  I  quietly  walk  off." 

Struck  .with  the  good  sense  and  sincerity  of  these 
answers,  Friend  Hopper  said  to  the  jailor,  "  Thou 
mayest  set  this  lad  at  liberty.  I  will  be  responsible 
for  "it." 

The  jailer  relying  on  his  well-known  character, 
and  his  intimacy  with  Robert  Wharton,  the  mayor, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  219 

did  not  hesitate  to  comply  with  his  request.  At  that 
moment,  the  mayor  himself  came  in  sight,  and 
Friend  Hopper  said  to  the  lad,  "  Step  into  the  next 
room,  and  play  some  of  thy  best  tunes  till  I  come." 

"What's  this?"  said  Mr.  Wharton.  "Have  you 
got  a  hand-organ  here  !" 

"Yes,"  replied  Friend  Hopper ;  "and  I  will  show 
it  to  thee.  It  is  quite  curious." 

At  first,  the  mayor  could  not  believe  that  the 
sounds  he  had  heard  were  produced  by  a  lad  merely 
whistling  through  his  fingers.  He  thought  them 
highly  agreeable,  and  asked  to  have  the  tunes  re- 
peated. 

"The  lad  was  committed  to  prison  for  no  other 
offence  than  making  that  noise,  which  seems  to  thee 
so  pleasant,"  said  Friend  Hopper.  "I  dare  say  thou 
wouldst  like  to  make  it  thyself,  if  thou  couldst.  I 
have  taken  the  liberty  to  discharge  him." 

"Very  well,"  rejoined  the  mayor,  with  a  smile. 
"You  have  done  quite  right,  Friend  Isaac.  You 
may  go,  myriad.  I  shall  not  trouble  you.  But  try 
not  to  collect  crowds  about  the  streets." 

"That  I  cannot  help,"  replied  the  youth.  "The 
crowds  will  come,  wThen  I  whistle  for  them  ;  and  I 
get  coppers  by  collecting  crowds.  But  I  promise 
you  I  will  try  to  avoid  their  making  any  riot  or  con- 
fusion." 


220  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

MARY  NORRIS. 

• 
A  stout  healthy  woman,  named  Mary  Norris  was 

continually  taken  up  as  a  vagrant,  or  committed  for 
petty  larceny.  As  soon  as  she  was  discharged  from 
the  penalty  of  one  misdemeanor,  she  was  committed 
for  another.  One  day,  Friend  Hopper,  who  was 
then  inspector,  said  to  her,  "  Well,  Mary,  thy  time 
is  out  next  week.  Dost  thou  think  thou  shalt  come 
back  again?" 

"Yes,"  she  replied  sullenly. 

"Dost  thou  like  to  come  back?"  inquired  he. 

"No,  to  be  sure  I  don't,"  rejoined  the  prisoner. 
"But  I've  no  doubt  I  shall  come  back  before  the 
month  is  out." 

"Why  dost  thou  not  make  a  resolution  to  behave 
better?"  said  the  kindly  inspector. 

"What  use  would  it  be?"  she  replied.  "You 
would  n't  take  me  into  your  family.  The  doctor 
would  n't  take  me  into  his  family.  No  respectable 
person  would  have  anything  to  do  with  me.  My 
associates  must  be  such  acquaintances  as  I  make 
here.  If  they  steal,  I  am  taken  up  for  it ;  no  matter 
whether  I  am  guilty  or  not.  I  am  an  old  convict,' 
and  nobody  believes  what  I  say.  O,  yes,  I  shall 
come  back  again.  To  be  sure  I  shall  come  back," 
she  repeated  bitterly. 

Her  voice  and  manner  excited  Friend  Hopper's 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  221 

compassion,  and  he  thus  addressed  her:  "If  I  will 
get  a  place  for  thee  in  some  respectable  family 
where  they  will  be  kind  to  thee,  wilt  thou  give  me 
thy  word  that  thou  wilt  be  honest  and  steady,  and 
try  to  do  thy  duty." 

Her  countenance  brightened,  and  she  eagerly  an- 
|  wered,  "  Yes  I  will !  And  thank  God  and  you  too, 
the  longest  day  I  have  to  live." 

He  exerted  his  influence  in  her  behalf,  and  pro- 
cured a  situation  for  her  as  head-nurse  at  the  alms- 
house.  She  was  well  contented  there,  and  behaved 
with  great  propriety.  Seventeen  years  afterward, 
when  Friend  Hopper  had  not  seen  her  for  a  long 
time,  he  called  to  inquire  about  her,  and  was  in- 
formed that  during  all  those  years,  she  had  been  an 
honest,  sober,  and  useful  woman.  She  was  rejoiced 
to  see  him  again,  and  expressed  lively  gratitude, 
for  the  quiet  and  comfortable  life  she  enjoyed  through 
his  agency. 

THE  MAGDALEN. 

UPON  one  occasion,  Friend  Hopper  entered  a  com- 
plaint against  an  old  woman,  W7ho  had  presided  over 
an  infamous  house  for  many  years.  She  was  tried, 
and  sentenced  to  several  months  imprisonment.  He 
went  to  see  her  several  times,  and  talked  very  se- 
riously with  her  concerning  the  errors  of  her  life. 
Finding  that  his  expostulations  made  some  impres- 


222  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

sion,  he  asked  if  she  felt  willing  to  amend  her  ways. 
"  Oh,  I  should  be  thankful  to  do  it ! "  she  exclaimed. 
"But  who  would  trust  me  ?  What  can  I  do  to  earn 
an  honest  living?  Everybody  curses  me,  or  makes 
game  of  me.  How  can  I  be  a  better  woman,  if  I  try 
ever  so  hard?" 

"I  will  give  thee  a  chance  to  amend  thy  life,"  he 
replied;  "and  if  thou  dost  not,  it  shall  be  thy  own 
fault." 

He  went  round  among  the  wealthy  Quakers,  and 
by  dint  of  great  persuasion  he  induced  one  to  let  her 
a  small  tenement  at  very  low  rent.  A  fewr  others 
agreed  to  purchase  some  humble  furniture,  and  a 
quantity  of  thread,  needles,  tape,  and  buttons,  to 
furnish  a  small  shop.  The  poor  old  creature's  heart 
overflowed  with  gratitude,  and  it  was  her  pride  to 
keep  everything  very  neat  and  orderly.  There  she 
lived  contented  and  comfortable  the  remainder  of  her 
days,  and  became  much  respected  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. The  tears  often  came  to  her  eyes  when  she 
saw  Friend  Hopper.  "  God  bless  that  good  man  ! " 
she  would  say.  "He  has  been  the  salvation  of 
me." 

THE  UNCOMPLIMENTARY  INVITATION. 

A  preacher  of  the  Society  of  Friends  felt  im- 
pressed with  the  duty  of  calling  a  meeting  for  vicious 
people ;  and  Isaac  T.  Hopper  was  appointed  to  col- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  223 

lect  an  audience.  In  the  course  of  this  mission,  he 
knocked  at  the  door  of  a  very  infamous  house.  A 
gentleman  who  was  acquainted  with  him -was  passing 
by,  and  he  stopped  to  say,  "Friend  Hopper,  you 
have  mistaken  the  house." 

"No,  I  have  not,"  he  replied. 

"But  that  is  a  house  of  notorious  ill  fame,"  said 
the  gentleman. 

"I  know  it,"  rejoined  he;  "but  nevertheless  I 
have  business  here." 

His  acquaintance  looked  surprised,  but  passed  on 
without  further  query.  A  colored  girl  came  to  the 
door.  To  the  inquiry  whether  her  mistress  was 
within,  she  answered  in  the  affirmative.  "Tell  her 
I  wish  to  see  her,"  said  Friend  Hopper.  The  girl 
was  evidently  astonished  at  a  visitor  in  Quaker  cos- 
tume, and  of  such  grave  demeanor ;  but  she  went 
and  did  the  errand.  A  message  was  returned  that 
her  mistress  was  engaged  and  could  not  see  any  one. 
"Where  is  she  ?"  he  inquired.  The  girl  replied  that 
she  was  up-stairs.  "I  will  go  to  her,"  said  the  im- 
portunate messenger. 

The  mistress  of  the  house  heard  him,  and  leaning 
over  the  balustrade  of  the  stairs,  she  screamed  out, 
"What  do  you  want  with  me,  sir?" 

In  very  loud  tones  he  answered,  "  James  Simpson, 
a  minister  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  has  appointed 
a  meeting  to  be  held  this  afternoon,  in  Penrose  store, 


224  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Almond-street.  It  is  intended  for  publicans,  sinners, 
and  harlots.  I  want  thee  to  be  there,  and  bring  thy 
whole  household  with  thee.  Wilt  thou  come  ?" 

She  promised  that  she  would  ;  and  he  afterward 
saw  her  at  the  meeting  melted  into  tears  by  the  di- 
rect and  affectionate  preaching. 

THEFT  FROM  NECESSITY. 

One  day,  when  the  family  were  in  the  midst  of 
washing,  a  man  called  at  Isaac  T.  Hopper's  house  to 
buy  soap  fat,  and  was  informed  they  had  none  to 
sell.  A  minute  after  he  had  passed  out,  the  domes- 
tic came  running  in  to  say  that  he  had  stolen  some 
of  the  children's  clothes  from  the  line.  Friend  Hop- 
per followed  him  quickly,  and  called  out,  "Dost  thou 
want  to  buy  some  soap-fat  ?  Come  back  if  thou 
dost." 

When  the  man  had  returned  to  the  kitchen,  he 
said,  "Now  give  up  the  clothes  thou  hast  stolen." 

The  culprit  was  extremely  confused,  but  denied 
that  he  had  stolen  anything. 

"  Give  them  up  at  once,  without  any  more  words. 
It  will  be  much  better  for  thee,"  said  Friend  Hopper, 
in  his  firm  way. 

Thus  urged,  the  stranger  drew  from  his  bosom 
some  small  shirts  and  flannel  petticoats.  "My  wife 
is  very  sick,"  said  he.  "  She  has  a  babe  two  weeks 
old,  wrapped  up  in  an  old  rag ;  and  when  I  saw  this 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  225 

comfortable  clothing  on  the  line,  I  was  tempted  to 
take  it  for  the  poor  little  creature.  We  have  no  fuel 
except  a  little  tan.  A  herring  is  the  last  mouthful  of 
food  we  have  in  the  house ;  and  when  I  came  away, 
It  was  broiling  on  the  hot  tan." 
.  His  story  excited  pity ;  but  fearing  it  might  be 
made  up  for  the  occasion,  Friend  Hopper  took  him 
to  a  magistrate  and  said,  "Please  give  me  a  com- 
mitment for  this  man.  If  he  tells  a  true  story,  I 
will  tear  it  up.  I  will  go  and  see  for  myself." 

When  he  arrived  at  the  wretched  abode,  he  found 
a  scene  of  misery  that  pained  him  to  the  heart. 
The  room  was  cold,  and  the  wife  was  in  bed,  pale 
and  suffering.  Her  babe  had  no  clothing,  except  a 
coarse  rag  torn  from  the  skirt  of  an  old  coat.  Of 
course  he  destroyed  the  commitment  immediately. 
His  next  step  was  to  call  upon  the  rich  Quakers  of 
his  acquaintance,  and  obtain  from  them  contributions 
of  wood,  flour,  rice,  bread,  and  warm  garments.  Em- 
ployment was  soon  after  procured  for  the  man,  and 
he  was  enabled  to  support  his  family  comfortably. 
He  never  passed  Friend  Hopper  in  the  street  without 
making  a  low  bow,  and  often  took  occasion  to  ex- 
press his  grateful  acknowledgments. 

PATRICK  Me  KEEVER. 

Patrick  was  a  poor  Irishman  in  Philadelphia.    He 

and  another  man  were  arrested  on  a  charge  of  burgla- 
10* 


226  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

ry,  convicted  and  sentenced  to  be  hung.  I  am  igno- 
rant of  the  details  of  his  crime,  or  why  the  sentence 
was  not  carried  into  execution.  There  were  probably 
some  palliating  circumstances  in  his  case  ;  for  though 
he  was  carried  to  the  gallows,  seated  on  his  coffin, 
he  was  spared  for  some  reason,  and  his  companion 
was  hung.  He  was  afterward  sentenced  to  ten 
years  imprisonment,  and  this  was  eventually  short- 
ened one  year.  During  the  last  three  years  of  his 
term,  Friend  Hopper  was  one  of  the  inspectors,  and 
frequently  talked  with  him  in  a  gentle,  fatherly  man- 
ner. The  convict  was  a  man  of  few  words,  and 
hope  seemed  almost  dead  within  him  ;  but  though  he 
made  no  large  promises,  his  heart  was  evidently 
touched  by  the  voice  of  kindness.  As  soon  as  he 
was  released,  he  went  immediately  to  wTork  at  his 
trade  of  tanning  leather,  and  conducted  himself  in 
the  most  exemplary  manner.  Being  remarkable  for 
capability,  and  the  amount  of  work  he  could  accom- 
plish, he  soon  had  plenty  of  employment.  He  pass- 
ed Friend  Hopper's  house  every  day,  as  he  went  to 
his  work,  and  often  received  from  him  words  of 
friendly  encouragement. 

Things  were  going  on  thus  satisfactorily,  when 
his  friend  heard  that  constables  were  in  pursuit  of 
him,  on  account  of  a  robbery  committed  the  night 
before.  He  went  straight  to  the  mayor,  and  inquired 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  227 

why  orders  had  been  given  to  arrest  Patrick  Mc- 
Keever. 

"Because  there  has  been  a  robbery  committed  in 
his  neighborhood,"  replied  the  magistrate. 

He  inquired  what  proof  there  was  that  Patrick 
had  been  concerned  in  it. 

"None  at  all,"  rejoined  the  mayor.  "But  he  is 
an  old  convict,  und  that  is  enough  to  condemn  him." 

"It  is  not  enough,  by  any  means,"  answered  Friend 
Hopper.  "Thou  hast  no  right  to  arrest  any  citizen 
without  a  shadow  of  proof  against  him.  In  this 
case,  I  advise  thee  by  all  means  to  proceed  with  hu- 
mane caution.  This  man  has  severely  atoned  for 
the  crime  he  did  commit ;  and  since  he  wishes  to  re- 
form, his  past  history  ought  never  to  be  mentioned 
against  him.  He  has  been  perfectly  honest,  sober, 
and  industrious,  since  he  came  out  of  prison.  I 
think  I  know  his  state  of  mind ;  and  I  am  willing  to 
take  the*responsibility  of  saying  that  he  is  guiltless 
in  this  matter." 

The  mayor  commended  Friend  Hopper's  bene- 
volence, but  remained  unconvinced.  To  all  argu- 
ments he  replied,  "He  is  an  old  convict,  and  that  is 
enough." 

Patrick's  kind  friend  watched  for  him  as  he  passed 
to  his  daily  labors,  and  told  him  that  he  would  pro- 
bably be  arrested  for  the  robbery  that  had  been  com- 
mitted in  his  neighborhood.  The  poor  fellow  bowed 


228  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

down  his  head,  the  light  vanished  from  his  counte- 
nance, and  hope  seemed  to  have  forsaken  him  utter- 
ly. "Well,"  said  he,  with  a  deep  sigh,  "I  suppose 
I  must  make  up  my  mind  to  spend  the  remainder  of 
my  days  in  prison." 

"Thou  wert  not  concerned  in  this  robbery,  wert 
thou  ?"  inquired  Friend  Hopper,  looking  earnestly  in 
his  face. 

"  No,  indeed  I  was  not,"  he  replied.  "  God  be  my 
witness,  I  want  to  lead  an  honest  life,  and  be  at 
peace  with  all  men.  But  what  good  will  that  do 
me  ?  Everybody  will  say,  he  has  been  in  the  State 
Prison,  and  that  is  enough." 

His  friend  did  not  ask  him  twice ;  for  he  felt  as- 
sured thai  he  had  spoken  truly.  He  advised  him  to 
go  directly  to  the  mayor,  deliver  himself  up,  and  de- 
clare his  innocence.  This  wholesome  advice  was 
received  with  deep  dejection.  He  had  lost  faith  in 
his  fellow-men ;  for  they  had  been  to  him  as  ene- 
mies. "I  know  what  will  come  of  it,"  said  he. 
"They  will  put  me  in  prison  whether  there  is  any 
proof  against  me,  or  not.  They  won't  let  -me  out 
without  somebody  will  be  security  for  me  ;  and  who 
will  be  security  for  an  old  convict  ?" 

"Keep  up  a  good  heart,"  replied  Friend  Hopper. 
"  Go  to  the  mayor  and  speak  as  I  have  advised  thee. 
If  they  talk  of  putting  thee  in  prison,  send  for  me." 

Patrick  acted  in  obedience  to  this  advice,  and  was 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  229 

treated  just  as  he  had  expected.  Though  there  was 
not  a  shadow  of  proof  against  him,  his  being  an  old 
convict  was  deemed  sufficient  reason  for  sending  him 
to  jail. 

Friend  Hopper  appeared  in  his  behalf.  "I  am 
ready  to  affirm  that  I  believe  this  man  to  be  inno- 
cent," said  he.  "  It  will  be  a  very  serious  injury  for 
him  to  be  taken  from  his  business  and  detained  in 
prison  until  this  can  be  proved.  Moreover,  the  effect 
upon  his  mind  may  be  completely  discouraging.  I 
will  be  security  for  his  appearance  when  called  for  ; 
and  I  know  very  well  that  he  will  not  think  of  giv- 
ing me  the  slip." 

The  gratitude  of  the  poor  fellow  was  overwhelm- 
ing. He  sobbed  till  his  strong  frame  shook  like  a 
leaf  in  the  wind.  The  real  culprits  were  soon  after 
discovered.  For  thirty  years  after  and  to  the  day  of 
his  death,  Patrick  continued  to  lead  a  virtuous  and 
useful  life ;  for  which  he  always  thanked  Friend 
Hopper,  as  the  instrument  of  Divine  Providence. 

THE  UMBRELLA  GIRL. 

A  young  girl,  the  only  daughter  of  a  poor  widow, 
removed  from  the  country  to  Philadelphia  to  earn 
her  living  by  covering  umbrellas.  She  was  very 
handsome  ;  with  glossy  black  hair,  large  beaming 
eyes,  and  "lips  like  wet  coral."  She  was  just  at 
that  susceptible  age  when  youth  is  ripening  into  wo- 


230  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

manhood,  when  the  soul  begins  to  be  pervaded  by 
"  that  restless  principle,  which  impels  poor  humans 
to  seek  perfection  in  union-." 

At  a  hotel  near  the  store  for  which  she  worked  an 
English  traveller,  called  Lord  Henry  Stuart,  had  tak- 
en lodgings.  He  was  a  strikingly  handsome  man, 
and  of  princely  carriage.  As  this  distinguished  stran- 
ger passed  to  and  from  his  hotel,  he  encountered  the 
umbrella  girl,  and  was  attracted  by  her  uncommon 
beauty.  He  easily  traced  her  to  the  store,  where  he 
soon  after  went  to  purchase  an  umbrella.  This  was 
followed  up  by  presents  of  flowers,  chats  by  the  way- 
side, and  invitations  to  walk  or  ride ;  all  of  which 
were  gratefully  accepted  by  the  unsuspecting  rustic ; 
for  she  was  as  ignorant  of  the  dangers  of  a  city  as 
were  the  squirrels  of  her  native  fields.  He  was 
merely  playing  a  game  for  temporary  excitement. 
She,  with  a  head  full  of  romance,  and  a  heart  melt- 
ing under  the  influence  of  love,  was  unconsciously 
endangering  the  happiness  of  her  whole  life. 

Lord  Henry  invited  her  to  visit  the  public  gardens 
on  the  Fourth  of  July.  In  the  simplicity  of  her 
heart,  she  believed  all  his  flattering  professions,  and 
considered  herself  his  bride  elect ;  she  therefore  ac- 
cepted the  invitation  with  innocent  frankness.  But 
she  had  no  dress  fit  to  appear  in  on  such  a  public  oc- 
casion, with  a  gentleman  of  high  rank,  whom  she 
verily  supposed  to  be  her  destined  husband.  While 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  231 

these  thoughts  revolved  in  her  mind,  her  eye  was  un- 
fortunately attracted  by  a  beautiful  piece  of  silk,  be- 
longing to  her  employer.  Could  she  not  take  it, 
without  being  seen,  and  pay  for  it  secretly,  when  she 
had  earned  money  enough  ?  The  temptation  con- 
quered her  in  a  moment  of  weakness.  She  conceal- 
ed the  silk,  and  conveyed  it  to  her  lodgings.  It  was 
the  first  thing  she  had  ever  stolen,  and  her  remorse 
was  painful.  She  would  have  carried  it  back,  but 
she  dreaded  discovery.  She  was  not  sure  that  her 
repentance  would  be  met  in  a  spirit  of  forgiveness. 

On  the  eventful  Fourth  of  July,  she  came  out  in 
her  new  dress.  Lord  Henry  complimented  her  upon 
her  elegant  appearance,  but  she  was  n<ft  happy.  On 
their  way  to  the  gardens,  he  talked  to  her  in  a  man- 
ner which  she  did  not  comprehend.  Perceiving  this, 
he  spoke  more  explicitly.  The  guileless  young  crea- 
ture stopped,  looked  in  his  face  with  mournful  re- 
proach, and  burst  into  tears.  The  nobleman  took 
her  hand  kindly,  and  said,  "My  dear,  are  you  an  in- 
nocent girl  ?" 

"I  am,  I  am,"  she  replied,  with  convulsive  sobs. 
"Oh,  what  have  I  ever  done,  or  said,  that  you  should 
isk  me  such  a  question  ?" 

r  The  evident  sincerity  of  her  words  stirred  the 
deep  fountains  of  his  better  nature.  "If  you  are 
innocent,"  said  he,  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  make 
you  otherwise.  But  you  accepted  my  invitations 


232  LIFE    OF   ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

and  presents  so  readily,  that  I  supposed  you  under- 
stood me." 

"What  could  I  understand,"  said  she,  "except 
that  you  intended  to  make  me  your  wife  ?" 

Though  reared  amid  the  proudest  distinctions  of 
rank,  he  felt  no  inclination  to  smile.  He  blushed 
and  was  silent.  The  heartless  conventionalities  ot 
the  world  stood  rebuked  in  the  presence  of  affection- 
ate simplicity.  He  conveyed  her  to  her  humble 
home,  and  bade  her  farewell,  with  a  thankful  con- 
sciousness that  he  had  done  no  irretrievable  injury  to 
her  future  prospects.  The  remembrance  of  her 
would  soon  be  to  him  as  the  recollection  of  last 
year's  butterflies.  With  her,  the  wound  was  deep. 
In  the  solitude  of  her  chamber  she  wept  in  bitter- 
ness of  heart  over  her  ruined  air-castles.  And  that 
dress,  which  she  had  stolen  to  make  an  appearance 
befitting  his  bride  !  Oh,  what  if  she  should  be  dis- 
covered ?  And  would  not  the  heart  of  her  poor  wi- 
dowed mother  break,  if  she  should  ever  know  that 
her  child  was  a  thief? 

Alas,  her  wretched  forebodings  proved  too  true. 
The  silk  was  traced  to  her ;  she  was  arrested  on  her 
way  to  the  store  and  dragged  to  prison.  There  she 
refused  all  nourishment,  and  wept  incessantly.  On 
the  fourth  day,  the  keeper  called  upon  Isaac  T. 
Hopper,  and  informed  him  that  there  was  a  young 
girl  in  prison,  who  appeared  to  be  utterly  friendless, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  233 

and  determined  to  die  by  starvation.  The  kind- 
hearted  Friend  immediately  went  to  her  assistance. 
He  found  her  lying  on  the  floor  of  her  cell,  with  her 
face  buried  in  her  hands,  sobbing  as  if  her  heart 
would  break.  He  tried  to  comfort  her,  but  could 
obtain  no  answer. 

'  " Leave  us  alone,"  said  he  to  the  keeper.  "Per- 
haps she  will  speak  to  me,  if  there  is  no  one  to  hear." 
When  they  were  alone  together,  he  put  back  the 
hair  from  her  temples,  laid  his  hand  kindly  on  her 
beautiful  head,  and  said  in  soothing  tones,  "My 
child,  consider  me  as  thy  father.  Tell  me  all  thou 
hast  done.  If  thou  hast  taken  this  silk,  let  me  know 
all  about  it.  I  will  do  for  thee  as  I  would  for  my 
own  daughter ;  and  I  doubt  not  that  I  can  help  thee 
out  of  this  difficulty." 

After  a  long  time  spent  in  affectionate  entreaty, 
she  leaned  her  young  head  on  his  friendly  shoulder, 
and  sobbed  out,  "Oh,  I  wish  I  was  dead.  What 
will  my  poor  mother  say  when  she  knows  of  my  dis- 
grace ?" 

"Perhaps  we  can  manage  that  she  never  shall 
know  it,"  replied  he.  Alluring  her  by  this  hope,  he 
gradually  obtained  from  her  the  whole  story  of  her 
acquaintance  with  the  nobleman.  He  bade  her  be 
comforted,  and  take  nourishment ;  for  he  would  see 
that  the  silk  was  paid  for,  and  the  prosecution  with- 
drawn. 


234  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

He  went  immediately  to  her  employer,  and  told 
him  the  story.,  "This  is  her  first  offence,"  said  he. 
"  The  girl  is  young,  and  she  is  the  only  child  of  a 
poor  widow.  Give  her  a  chance  to  retrieve  this  one 
false  step,  and  she  may  be  restored  to  society,  a  use- 
ful and  honored  woman.  I  will  see  that  thou  art 
paid  for  the  silk."  The  man  readily  agreed  to  with- 
draw the  prosecution,  and  said  he  would  have  dealt 
otherwise  by  the  girl,  if  he  had  known  all  the  cir- 
cumstances. "Thou  shouldst  have  inquired  into  the 
merits  of  the  case,"  replied  Friend  Hopper.  "By 
this  kind  of  thoughtlessness,  many  a  young  creature 
is  driven  into  the  downward  path,  who  might  easily 
have  been  saved." 

The  kind-hearted  man  next  proceeded  to  the  ho- 
tel, and  with  Quaker  simplicity  of  speech  inquired 
for  Henry  Stuart.  The  servant  said  his  lordship 
had  not  yet  risen.  "Tell  him  my  business  is  of  im- 
portance," said  Friend  Hopper.  The  servant  soon 
returned  and  conducted  him  to  the  chamber.  The 
nobleman  appeared  surprised  that  a  stranger,  in  the 
plain  Quaker  costume,  should  thus  intrude  upon  his 
luxurious  privacy.  When  he  heard  his  errand,  he 
blushed  deeply,  and  frankly  admitted  the  truth  of  the 
girl's  statement.  His  benevolent  visitor  took  the  op- 
portunity to  "bear  a  testimony"  against  the  selfish- 
ness and  sin  of  profligacy.  He  did  it  in  such  a  kind 
and  fatherly  manner,  that  the  young  man's  heart  was 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  235 

touched.  He  excused  himself,  by  saying  that  he 
would  not  have  tampered  with  the  girl,  if  he  had 
known  her  to  be  virtuous.  "I  have  done  many 
wrong  things,"  said  he,  "  but  thank  God,  no  betrayal 
of  confiding  innocence  weighs  on  my  conscience.  I 
have  always  esteemed  it  the  basest  act  of  which  man 
is  capable."  The  imprisonment  of  the  poor  girl,  and 
the  forlorn  situation  in  which  she  had  been  found, 
distressed  him  greatly.  When  Friend  Hopper  re- 
presented that  the  silk  had  been  stolen  for  his  sake, 
that  the  girl  had  thereby  lost  profitable  employment, 
and  was  obliged  to  return  to  her  distant  home,  to 
avoid  the  danger  of  exposure,  he  took  out  a  fifty  dol- 
lar note,  and  offered  it  to  pay  her  expenses. 

"Nay,"  said  Isaac.  "Thou  art  a  very  rich  man, 
I  presume.  I  see  in  thy  hand  a  large  roll  of  such 
notes.  She  is  the  daughter  of  a  poor  widow,  and 
thou  hast  been  the  means  of  doing  her  great  injury. 
Give  me  another." 

Lord  Henry  handed  him  another  fifty  dollar  note, 
and  smiled  as  he  said,  "You  understand  your  busi- 
ness well.  But  you  have  acted  nobly,  and  I  reve- 
rence you  for  it.  If  you  ever  visit  England,  come  to 
see  me.  I  will  give  you  a  cordial  welcome,  and 
treat  you  like  a  nobleman." 

"Farewell,  friend,"  replied  the  Quaker.  "Though 
much  to  blame  in  this  affair,  thou  too  hast  behaved 
nobly.  Mayst  thou  be  blessed  in  domestic  life,  and 


236  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

trifle  no  more  with  the  .feelings  of  poor  girls ;  not 
even  with  those  whom  others  have  betrayed  and  de- 
serted." 

When  the  girl  was  arrested,  she  had  sufficient  pre- 
sence of  mind  to  assume  a  false  name,  and  by  that 
means,  her  true  name  had  been  kept  out  of  the  news-1 
papers.  "I  did  this,"  said  she,  "for  my  poor  mo- 
ther's sake."  With  the  money  given  by  Lord  Stuart, 
the  silk  was  paid  for,  and  she  was  sent  home  to  her 
mother  well  provided  with  clothing.  Her  name  and 
place  of  residence  forever  remained  a  secret  in  the 
breast  of  her  benefactor. 

Years  after  these  events  transpired,  a  lady  called 
at  Friend  Hopper's  house,  and  asked  to  see  him. 
When  he  entered  the  room,  he  found  a  handsomely 
dressed  young  matron,  with  a  blooming  boy  of  five 
or  six  years  old.  She  rose  quickly  to  meet  him,  and 
her  voice  choked  as  she  said,  "Friend  Hopper,  do 
you  know  me  ?"  He  replied  that  he  did  not.  She 
fixed  her  tearful  eyes  earnestly  upon  him,  and  said, 
"You  once  helped  me  when  in  great  distress."  But 
the  good  missionary  of  humanity  had  helped  too 
many  in  distress,  to  be  able  to  recollect  her  without 
more  precise  information.  With  a  tremulous  voice,' 
she  bade  her  son  go  into  the  next  room  for  a  few  mi-' 
nutes ;  then  dropping  on  her  knees,  she  hid  her  face 
in  his  lap,  and  sobbed  out,  "I  am  the  girl  who  stole 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  237 

the  silk.  Oh,  where  should  I  now  be,  if  it  had  not 
been  for  you  !" 

When  her  emotion  was  somewhat  calmed,  she 
told  him  that  she  had  married  a  highly  respectable 
man,  a  senator  of  his  native  state.  Being  on  a  visit 
in  Friend  Hopper's  vicinity,  she  had  again  and  again 
passed  his  dwelling,  looking  wistfully  at  the  windows 
to  catch  a  sight  of  him  ;  but  when  she  attempted  to 
enter  her  courage  failed. 

"But  I  must  return  home  to-morrow,"  said  she, 
"and  I  could  not  go  away  without  once  more  seeing 
and  thanking  him  who  saved  me  from  ruin."  She 
recalled*  her  little  boy,  and  said  to  him,  "  Look  at 
that  gentleman,  and  remember  him  well ;  for  he  was 
the  best  friend  your  mother  ever  had."  With  an 
earnest  invitation  to  visit  her  happy  home,  and  a  fer- 
vent "  God  bless  you  !"  she  bade  her  benefactor  fare- 
well. 

THE  TWO  YOUNG  OFFENDERS. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania, 
there  lived  a  man  whose  temper  was  vindictive  and 
badly  governed.  Having  become  deeply  offended 
with  one  of  his  neighbors,  he  induced  his  two  sons 
to  swear  falsely  that  he  had  committed  an  infamous 
crime.  One  of  the  lads  was  about  fifteen  years  old, 
and  the  other  about  seventeen.  The  alleged  of- 
fence was  of  so  gross  a  nature,  and  was  so  at  vari- 


238  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

ance  with  the  fair  character  of  the  person  accused 
that  the  witnesses  were  subjected  to  a  very  careful 
and  shrewd  examination.  They  became  embarrass- 
ed, and  the  flaws  in  tfteir  evidence  were  very  obvi- 
ous. They  were  indicted  for  conspiracy  against  an 
innocent  man ;  and  being  taken  by  surprise,  they 
were  thrown  into  confusion,  acknowledged  their 
guilt,  and  declined  the  offer  of  a  trial.  They  were 
sentenced  to  two  years'  imprisonment  at  hard  labor 
in  the  Penitentiary  of  Philadelphia. 

Isaac  T.  Hopper,  who  was  at  that  time  one  of  the 
inspectors,  happened  to  be  at  the  prison  when  they 
arrived  at  dusk,  hand-cuffed  and  chained  together,  in 
custody  of  the  sheriff.  Their  youth  and  desolate 
appearance  excited  his  compassion.  "Keep  up  a 
good  heart,  my  poor  lads,"  said  he.  "You  can  re- 
trieve this  one  false  step,  if  you  will  but  make  the 
effort.  It  is  still  in  your  power  to  become  respecta- 
ble and  useful  men.  I  will  help  you  all  I  can." 

He  gave  particular  directions  that  they  should  be 
placed  in  a  room  by  themselves,  apart  from  the  con- 
tagion of  more  hardened  offenders.  To  prevent  un- 
profitable conversation,  they  were  constantly  em- 
ployed in  the  noisy  occupation  of  heading  nails. 
From  time  to  time,  the  humane  inspector  spoke 
soothing  and  encouraging  words  to  them,  and  com- 
mended their  good  behavior.  When  the  Board  of 
Inspectors  met,  he  proposed  that  the  lads  should  be 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  239 

recommended  to  the  governor  for  pardon.     Not  suc- 
ceeding in  this  effort,  he  wrote  an  article  on  the  im- 
propriety  of  confining  juvenile   offenders  with  old 
hardened  convicts.     He  published  this  in  the  daily 
papers,  and  it  produced  considerable  effect.     When 
vthe  Board  again  met,  Isaac  T.  Hopper  and  Thomas 
'Dobson  were  appointed  to  wait  on  the  governor,  to 
obtain  a  pardon  for  the  lads  if  possible.     After  con- 
siderable hesitation,  the  request  was  granted  on  con 
dition  that  worthy  men  could  be  found,  who  would 
take  them  as  apprentices.     Friend  Hopper  agreed  to 
find  such  persons ;  and  he  kept  his  word.     One  of 
them  was  bound  to  a  tanner,  the  other  to  a  carpen- 
ter.    But  their  excellent  friend  did  not  lose  sight  of 
them.     He  reminded,  them  that  they  were  now  going 
among  strangers,  and  their  success  and  happiness 
would  mainly  depend  on  their  own  conduct.     He 
begged  of  them,  if  they  should  ever  get  entangled 
with  unprofitable  company,  or  become  involved  in 
difficulty  of  any  kind,  to  come  to  him,  as  they  would 
to  a  considerate  father.     He  invited  them  to  spend 
all  their  leisure  evenings  at  his  house.     For  a  long 
time,  it  was  their  constant  practice  to  take  tea  with 
him  every  Sunday,  and  join  the  family  in  reading 
the  Bible  and  other  serious  books. 

At  the  end  of  a  year,  they  expressed  a  strong  de- 
sire to  visit  their  father.  Some  fears  were  enter- 
tained lest  his  influence  over  them  should  prove  in- 


240  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

jurious ;  and  that  being  once  freed  from  restraint, 
they  would  not  willingly  return  to  constant  industry 
and  regular  habits.  They,  however,  promised  faith- 
fully that  they  would,  and  Friend  Hopper  thought  it 
might  have  a  good  effect  upon  them  to  know  that 
they  were  trusted.  He  accordingly  entered  into 
bonds  for  them ;  thinking  this  additional  claim  on 
their  gratitude  would  strengthen  his  influence  over 
them,  and  help  to  confirm  their  good  resolutions. 

They  returned  punctually  at  the  day  and  hour 
they  had  promised,  and  their  exemplary  conduct 
continued  to  give  entire  satisfaction  to  their  employ- 
ers. A  short  time  after  the  oldest  had  fulfilled  the  f 
term  of  his  indenture,  the  tanner  with  whom  he 
worked  bought  a  farm,  and  sold  his  stock  and  tools 
to  his  former  apprentice.  Friend  Hopper  took  him 
to  the  governor's  house,  dressed  in  his  new  suit  of 
freedom  clothes,  and  introduced  him  as  one  of  the 
lads  whom  he  had  pardoned  several  years  before  ; 
testifying  that  he  had  been  a  faithful  apprentice,  and 
much  respected  by  his  master.  The  governor  was 
well  pleased  to  see  him,  shook  hands  with  him  very 
cordially,  and  told  him  that  he  who  was  resolute 
enough  to  turn  back  from  vicious  ways,  into  the 
paths  of  virtue  and  usefulness,  deserved  even  more 
respect  than  one  who  had  never  been  tempted. 

He   afterward  married  a  worthy  young  woman 
with  a  small  property,  which  enabled  him  to  build  a 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  241 

neat  two-story  brick  house.  He  always  remained 
sober  and  industrious,  and  they  lived  in  great  com- 
fort and  respectability. 

The  younger  brother  likewise  passed  through  his 
apprenticeship  in  a  manner  very  satisfactory  to  his 
friends  ;  and  at  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  also  was 
introduced  to  the  governor  with  testimonials  of  his 
good  conduct  He  was  united  to  a  very  respectable 
ycrung  woman,  but  died  a  few  years  after  his  mar- 
riage. 

Both  these  young  men  always  cherished  warm 
gratitude  and  strong  attachment  for  Isaac  T.  Hop- 
per. They  both  regularly  attended  the  meetings  of 
the  Society  of  Friends,  which  had  become  pleasantly 
associated  in  their  minds  with  the  good  influences 
they  had  received  from  their  benefactor. 

Friend  Hopper  was  a  strict  disciplinarian  while  he 
was  inspector,  and  it  was  extremely  difficult  for  the 
prisoners  to  deceive  him  by  any  artful  devices,  or  hy- 
pocritical pretences.  But  he  was  always  in  the  habit 
of  talking  with  them  in  friendly  style,  inquiring  into 
their  history  and  plans,  sympathizing  with  their 
troubles  and  temptations,  encouraging  them  to  re- 
form, and  promising  to  assist  them  if  they  would  try 
to  help  themselves.  It  was  his  custom  to  take  a 
ramble  in  the  country  with  his  children  every  Satur- 
day afternoon.  All  who  were  old  enough  to  walk 
joined  the  troop.  They  always  stopped  at  the  prison, 
11 


242  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

and  were  well  pleased  to  deliver  to  the  poor  inmates, 
with  their  own  small  hands,  such  little  comforts  as 
their  father  had  provided  for  the  purpose.  He  was 
accustomed  to  say  that  there  was  not  one  among  the 
convicts,  however  desperate  they  might  be,  with 
whom  he  should  be  afraid  to  trust  himself  alone  at 
midnight  with  large  sums  of  money  in  his  pocket. 
An  acquaintance  once  cautioned  him  against  a  pri- 
soner, whose  temper  was  extremely  violent  and  re- 
vengeful, and  who  had  been  heard  to  swear  that  he 
would  take  the  life  of  some  of  the  keepers.  Soon 
after  this  warning,  Friend  Hopper  summoned  the 
desperate  fellow,  and  told  him  he  was  wanted  to  pile 
a  quantity  of  lumber  in  the  cellar.  He  went  down 
with  him  to  hold  the  light,  and  they  remained  more 
than  an  hour  alone  together,  out  of  hearing  of  every- 
body. When  he  told  this  to  the  man  who  had  cau- 
tioned him,  he  replied,  "Well,  I  confess  you  have 
good  courage.  I  would  n't  have  done  it  for  the 
price  of  the  prison  and  all  the  ground  it  stands 
upon  ;  for  I  do  assure  you  he  is  a  terrible  fellow." 

"I  don't  doubt  he  is,"  rejoined  the  courageous 
inspector;  "but  I  knew  he  would  n't  kill  me.  I 
have  always  been  a  friend  to  him,  and  he  is  aware 
of  it.  What  motive  could  he  have  for  harming 
me?" 

One  of  the  prisoners,  who  had  been  convicted  of 
man-slaughter,  became,  furious,  in  consequence  of 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC     T.    HOPPER.  243 

being  threatened  with  a  whipping.  When  they  at- 
tempted to  bring  him  out  of  his  dungeon  to  receive 
punishment,  he  seized  a  knife  and  a  club,  rushed 
back  again,  and  swore  he  would  kill  the  first  person 
who  came  near  him.  Being  a  very  strong  man,  and 
in  a  state  of  madness,  no  one  dared  to  approach  him. 
They  tried  to  starve  him  into  submission ;  but  finding 
he  was  not  to  be  subdued  in  that  way,  they  sent  for 
Friend  Hopper,  as  they  were  accustomed  to  do  in 
all  such  difficult  emergencies.  He  went  boldly  into 
the  cell,  looked  the  desperado  calmly  in  the  face, 
and  said,  "  It  is  foolish  for  thee  to  contend  with  the 
authorities.  Thou  wilt  be  compelled  to  yield  at  last. 
I  will  inquire  into  thy  case.  If  thou  hast  been  un- 
justly dealt  by,  I  promise  thee  it  shall  be  remedied." 
This  kind  and  sensible  remonstrance  had  the  desired 
effect.  From  that  time  forward,  he  had  great  in- 
fluence over  the  ferocious  fellow,  who  was  always 
willing  to  be  guided  by  his  advice,  and  finally  became 
one  of  the  most  reasonable  and  orderly  inmates  of 
the  prison. 

I  have  heard  Friend  Hopper  say  that  while  he 
was  inspector  he  aided  and  encouraged  about  fifty 
young  convicts,  as  nearly  as  he  could  recollect ;  and 
all,  except  two,  conducted  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
satisfy  the  respectable  citizens  whom  he  had  induced 
to  employ  them.  He  was  a  shrewd  observer  of  the 
countenances  and  manners  of  men,  and  doubtless 


244  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

that  was  one  reason  why  he  was  not  often  disap 
pointed  in  those  he  trusted. 

The  humor  which  characterized  his  boyhood, 
remained  with  him  in  maturer  years,  and  often  ef- 
fervesced on  the  surface  of  his  acquired  gravity ;  as 
will  appear  in  the  following-  anecdotes. 

Upon  a  certain  occasion,  a  man  called  on  him  with 
a  due  bill  for  twenty  dollars  against  an  estate  he  had 
been  employed  to  settle.  Friend  Hopper  put  it  away, 
saying  he  would  examine  it  and  attend  to  it  as  soon 
as  he  had  leisure.  The  man  called  again  a  short 
time  after,  and  stated  that  he  had  need  of  six  dol- 
lars, and  was  willing  to  give  a  receipt  for  the  whole 
if  that  sum  were  advanced.  This  proposition  excited 
suspicion,  and  the  administrator  decided  in  his  own 
mind  that  he  would  pay  nothing  till  he  had  examined 
the  papers  of  the  deceased.  Searching  carefully 
among  these,  he  found  a  receipt  for  the  money,  men- 
tioning the  identical  items,  date,  and  circumstances 
of  the  transaction  ;  stating  that  a  due-bill  had  been 
given  and  lost,  and  was  to  be  restored  by  the  credi- 
tor when  found.  When  the  man  called  again  for 
payment,  Isaac  said  to  him,  in  a  quiet  way,  "  Friend 
Jones,  I  understand  thou  hast  become  pidus  lately."/ 

He  replied  in  a  solemn  tone,  "Yes,  thanks  to 
the  Lord  Jesus,  I  have  found  out  the  way  of  sal- 
vation." 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPEtt.  245 

"And  lliou  hast  been  dipped  I  hear,"  continued 
the  Quaker.  "Dost  thou  know  James  Hunter?" 

Mr.  Jones  answered  in  the  affirmative. 

"Well,  he  also  was  dipped  some  time  ago,"  re- 
joined Friend  Hopper;  "but  his  neighbors  say  they 
did  n't  get  the  crown  of  his  head  under  water.  The 
devil  crept  into  the  unbaptized  part,  and  has  been 
busy  within  him  ever  since.  I  am  afraid  they  did  n't 
get  thee  quite  under  water.  I  think  thou  hadst  bet- 
ter be  dipped  again." 

As  he  spoke,  he  held  up  the  receipt  for  twenty 
dollars.  The  countenance  of  the  professedly  pious 
man  became  scarlet,  and  he  disappeared  instantly. 

A  Dutchman  once  called  upon  Friend  Hopper,  and 
said,  "  A  tief  have  stole  mine  goots.  They  tell  me 
you  can  help  me,  may  be."  Upon  inquiring  the 
when  and  the  where,  Friend  Hopper  concluded  that 
the  articles  had  been  stolen  by  a  man  whom  he  hap- 
pened to  know  the  police  had  taken  up  a  few  hours 
previous.  But  being  disposed  to  amuse  himself,  he 
inquired  very  seriously,  "What  time  of  the  moon 
was  it,  when  thy  goods  were  stolen?  Having  re- 
ceived information  concerning  that  particular,  he 
took  a  slate  and  began  to  cipher  diligently.  After  a 
while,  he  looked  up,  and  pronounced  in  a  very  ora- 
cular manner,  "Thou  wilt  find  thy  goods." 

"Shall  I  find  mine  goots  ?"  exclaimed  the  delight- 
ed Dutchman  ;  "and  where  is  de  tief?" 


246  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

"Art  thou  quite  sure  about  the  age  of  the  moon?" 
inquired  the  pretended  magician.  Being  assured 
there  was  no  mistake  on  that  point,  he  ciphered 
again  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  answered,  "Thou 
wilt  find  the  thief  in  the  hands  of  the  police." 

The  Dutchman  went  away,  evidently  inspired  with 
profound  reverence.  Having  found  his  goods  and 
the  thief,  according  to  prediction,  he  returned  and 
asked  for  a  private  interview.  "Tell  me  dat  secret," 
said  he,  "and  I  will  pay  you  a  heap  of  money." 

"What  secret?"  inquired  Friend  Hopper. 

"Tell  me  how  you  know  I  will  find  mine  goots, 
and  where  I  will  find  de  tief  ?"  rejoined  he. 

"The  plain  truth  is,  I  guessed  it,"  was  the  reply; 
"  because  I  had  heard  there  was  a  thief  at  the  police 
office,  with  such  goods  as  thou  described." 

"But  what  for  you  ask  about  de  moon  ?"  inquired 
the  Dutchman.  "You  make  figures,  and  den  you 
say,  you  will  find  your  goots.  You  make  figures 
again,  den  you  tell  me  where  is  de  tief.  I  go,  and 
find  mine  goots  and  de  tief,  just  as  you  say.  Tell 
me  how  you  do  dat,  and  I  will  pay  you  a  heap  of 
money." 

Though  repeatedly  assured  that  it  was  done  only 
for  a  joke,  he  went  away  unsatisfied  :  and  to  the  day 
of  his  death,  he  fully  believed  that  the  facetious 
Quaker  was  a  conjuror. 

When  Friend  Hopper  hired  one  of  two  houses 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  247 

where  the  back  yards  were  not  separated,  he  found 
himself  considerably  incommoded  by  the  disorderly 
habits  of  his  next  neighbor.  The  dust  and  dirt  daily 
swept  into  the  yard  were  allowed  to  accumulate  there 
in  a  heap,  which  the  wind  often  scattered  over  the 
neater  premises  adjoining.  The  mistress  of  the 
house  was  said  to  be  of  an  irritable  temper,  likely  to 
take  offence  if  asked  to  adopt  a  different  system. 
He  accordingly  resolved  upon  a  course,  which  he 
thought  might  cure  the  evil  without  provoking  a  dis- 
pute. One  day,  when  he  saw  his  neighbor  in  her 
kitchen,  he  called  his  own  domestic  to  come  out  into 
the  yard.  Pointing  to  the  heap  of  dirt,  he  exclaimed, 
loud  enough  to  be  heard 'in  the  next  house,  "Betsy, 
art  thou  not  ashamed  to  sweep  dust  and  litter  into 
such  a  heap.  See  how  it  is  blowing  about  our 
neighbor's  yard !  Art  thou  not  ashamed  of  thy- 
self?" 

"I  didn't  sweep  any  dirt  there,"  replied  the  girl. 
"They  did  it  themselves." 

"Pshaw  !  Pshaw  !  don't  tell  me  that,"  rejoined  he. 
"Our  neighbor  wouldn't  do  such  an  untidy  thing.  I 
wonder  she  hasn't  complained  of  thee  before  now. 
Be  more  careful  in  future  ;  for  I  should  be  very  sor- 
ry to  give  her  any  occasion  to  say  she  couldn't  keep 
the  yard  clean  on  our  account." 

The  domestic  read  his  meaning  in  the  roguish  ex- 
pression of  his  eye,  and  she  remained  silent.  The 


248  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

lesson  took  effect.     The  heap  of  dirt  was  soon  re- 
moved, and  never  appeared  afterward. 

Such  a  character  as  Isaac  T.  Hopper  was  of 
course  well  knowrn  throughout  the  city  where  he 
lived.  Every  school-boy  had  heard  something  of  his 
doings,  and  as  he  walked  the  street,  everybody  re- 
cognized him,  from  the  chief  justice  to  the  chim- 
ney-sweep. His  personal  appearance  was  calculated 
to  attract  attention,  independent  of  other  circumstan- 
ces. Joseph  Bonaparte,  who  then  .resided  at  Borden- 
town,  was  attracted  toward  him  the  first  moment  he 
saw  him,  on  account  of  a  strong  resemblance  to  his 
brother  Napoleon.  They  often  met  in  the  steam- 
boat going  down  the  Delaware,  and  on  such  occa- 
sions, the  ex-king  frequently  pointed  him  out  as  the 
most  remarkable  likeness  of  the  emperor,  that  he 
had  ever  met  in  Europe  or  America.  He  expressed 
the  opinion  that  with  Napoleon's  uniform  on,  he 
might  be  mistaken  for  him,  even  by  his  own  house- 
hold ;  and  if  he  were  to  appear  thus  in  Paris,  noth- 
ing could  be  easier  than  for  him  to  excite  a  revolu- 
tion. 

But  the  imperial  throne,  even  if  it  had  been  di- 
rectly offered  to  him,  would  have  proved  no  tempta- 
tion to  a  soul  like  his.  In  some  respects,  his  charac- 
ter, as  well  as  his  person,  strongly  resembled  Napo- 
leon. But  his  powerful  will  was  remarkably  under 
the  control  of  conscience,  and  his  energy  was  tern- 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  249 

pered  by  an  unusual  share  of  benevolence.     If  the 
other  elements  of  his  character  had  not  been  balan- 
ced by  these  two  qualities,  he  also  might  have  been  a 
skilful  diplomatist,  and  a  successful  leader  of  armies. 
Fortunately  for  himself  and  others,  he  had  a  nobler 
ambition  than  that  of  making  widows  and  orphans 
by  wholesale  slaughter.     The  preceding  anecdotes 
show  how  warmly  he  sympathized  with  the  poor,  the 
oppressed,    and  the   erring,   without    limitation   of 
country,   creed,   or  complexion ;  and  how  diligently 
he  labored  in    their  behalf.     But   from  the   great 
amount  of  public  service  that  he  rendered,  it  must 
not   be  inferred  that   he   neglected  private   duties. 
Perhaps  no  man  was  ever  more  devotedly  attached 
to  wife  and  children  than  he  was.     His  Sarah,  as  he 
was  wont  to  call  her,  was  endowed  with  qualities 
well  calculated  to  retain  a  strong  hold  on  the  affec- 
tions  of   a   sensible   and   conscientious   man.     Her 
kindly  disposition,  and  the  regular,  simple  habits  ol 
her  life,  were  favorable  to  the  preservation  of  that 
beauty,  which  had  won  his  boyish  admiration.    Her 
wavy  brown  hair  was  softly  shaded  by  the  delicate 
transparent  muslin  of  her  Quaker  cap ;  her  face  had 
a  tender  and  benign  expression  ;  and  her  complexion 
was  so  clear,  that  an  old  gentleman,  who  belonged 
to  the  Society  of  Friends,   and  who  was  of  course 
not  much  addicted  to  poetic  comparisons,  used  to  say 

he  could  never  look  at  her  without  thinking  of  the 
11* 


250  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

clear  pink  and  white  of  a  beautiful  conch-shell.  She 
was  scrupulously  neat,  and  had  something  of  that 
chastened  coquetry  in  dress,  which  is  apt  to  charac- 
terize the  handsome  women  of  her  orderly  sect. 
Her  drab-colored  gown,  not  high  in  the  neck,  was 
bordered  by  a  plain  narrow  tucker  of  fine  muslin,  vi- 
sible under  her  snow-white  neckerchief.  A  white 
under-sleeve  came  just  below  the  elbow,  where  it 
terminated  in  a  very  narrow  band,  nicely  stitched, 
and  fastened  with  two  small  silver  buttons,  connected 
by  a  chain.  She  was  a  very  industrious  woman,  and 
remarkably  systematic  in  her  household  affairs ; 
thus  she  contrived  to  find  time  for  everything,  though 
burdened  with  the  care  of  a  large  and  increasing 
family.  The  apprentices  always  sat  at  table  with 
them,  and  she  maintained  a  perfect  equality  between 
them  and  her  own  children.  She  said  it  was  her 
wish  to  treat  them  precisely  as  she  would  like  to 
have  her  boys  treated,  if  they  should  become  appren- 
tices. On  Sunday  evenings,  which  they  called  First 
Day  evenings,  the  whole  family  assembled  to  hear 
Friend  Hopper  read  portions  of  scripture,  or  writings 
of  the  early  Friends.  On  such  occasions,  the  mother 
often  gave  religious  exhortations  to  the  children  and 
apprentices,  suited  to  the  occurrences  of  the  week, 
and  the  temptations  to  which  they  were  peculiarly 
subject.  During  the  last  eight  years  of  her  life,  she 
was  a  recommended  minister  of  the  Society  of 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC.  T.    HOPPER.  251 

Friends,  and  often  preached  at  their  meetings.  Her 
manners  were  affable,  and  her  conversation  peculiar- 
ly agreeable  to  young  people.  But  she  knew  when 
silence  was  seemly,  and  always  restrained  her  dis- 
course within  the  limits  of  discretion.  When  any  of 
her  children  talked  more  than  was  useful,  she  was 
accustomed  to  administer  this  concise  caution  :  "My 
dear,  it  is  a  nice  thing  to  say  nothing,  when  thou 
hast  nothing  to  say."  Her  husband  was  proud  of 
her,  and  always  manifested  great  deference  for  her 
opinion.  She  suffered  much  anxiety  on  account  of 
the  perils  to  which  he  was  often  exposed  in  his  con- 
tests with  slaveholders  and  kidnappers ;  and  for 
many  years,  the  thought  was  familiar  to  her  mind 
that  she  might  one  day  see  him  brought  home  a 
corpse.  While  the  yellow  fever  raged  in  Philadel- 
phia, she  had  the  same  anxiety  concerning  his  fear- 
less devotion  to  the  victims  of  that  terrible  disease, 
who  were  dying  by  hundreds  around  them.  But  she 
had  a  large  and  sympathizing  heart,  and  she  never 
sought  to  dissuade  him  from  what  he  considered  the 
path  of  duty.  When  one  of  his  brothers  was  strick- 
en with  the  fever,  and  the  family  with  whom  he  re- 
sided were  afraid  to  shelter  him,  she  proposed  to 
have  him  brought  under  their  own  roof,  where  he 
was  carefully  nursed  till  he  died.  She  was  more  re- 
luctant to  listen  to  his  urgent  entreaties  that  she 
would  retire  into  the  country  with  the  children,  and 


252  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

remain  with  them  beyond  the  reach  of  contagion ; 
for  her  heart  was  divided  between  the  husband  of 
her  youth  and  the  nurslings  of  her  bosom.  But  his 
anxiety  concerning  their  children  was  so  great,  that 
she  finally  consented  to  pursue  the  course  most  con- 
ducive to  his  peace  of  mind ;  and  he  was  left  in  the 
city  with  a  colored  domestic  to  superintend  his  house- 
hold affairs.  Through  this  terrible  ordeal  of  pesti- 
lence he  passed  unscathed,  though  his  ever  ready 
sympathy  brought  him  into  frequent  contact  with 
the  dying  and  the  dead. 

Besides  this  public  calamity,  which  darkened  the 
whole  city  for  a  time,  Friend  Hopper  shared  the 
common  lot  of  humanity  in  the  sad  experiences  of 
private  life.  Several  of  his  children  died  at  that  at- 
tractive age,  when  the  bud  of  infancy  is  blooming 
into  childhood.  Relatives  and  friends  crossed  the 
dark  river  to  the  unknown  shore.  On  New  Year's 
day,  1797,  his  mother  departed  from  this  world  at  fif- 
ty-six years  old.  In  1818,  his  father  died  at  seventy- 
five  years  of  age.  His  physical  vigor  was  remarka- 
ble. When  he  had  weathered  seventy  winters,  he 
went  to  visit  his  eldest  son,  and  being  disappointed 
in  meeting  the  stage  to  return,  as  he  expected,  he 
walked  home,  a  distance  of  twenty-eight  miles.  At 
that  advanced  age,  he  could  rest  one  hand  on  his 
cane  and  the  other  on  a  fence,  and  leap  over  as  easi- 
ly as  a  boy.  He  had  long  flowing  black  hair,  which 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  253 

fell  in  ringlets  on  his  shoulders  ;  and  when  he  died, 
it  was  merely  sprinkled  with  gray.  When  his  pri- 
vate accounts  were  examined  after  his  decease,  they 
revealed  the  fact  that  he  had  secretly  expended  hun- 
dreds of  dollars  in  paying  the  debts  of  poor  people, 
or  redeeming  their  furniture  when  it  was  attached. 

But  though  many  dear  ones  dropped  away  from 
his  side,  as  Friend  Isaac  moved  onward  in  his  pil- 
grimage, many  remained  to  sustain  and  cheer  him. 
Among  his  wife's  brothers,  his  especial  friend  was 
John  Tatum,  who  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  his  native 
village.  This  worthy  man  had  great  sympathy  with 
the  colored  people,  and  often  sheltered  the  fugitives 
whom  his  brother-in-law  had  rescued.  He  was  re- 
markable for  his  love  of  peace ;  always  preferring  to 
suffer  wrong  rather  than  dispute.  The  influence  of 
this  pacific  disposition  upon  others  was  strikingly  il- 
lustrated in  the  case  of  two  of  his  neighbors.  They 
were  respectable  people,  in  easy  circumstances,  and 
the  families  found  much  pleasure  in  frequent  inter- 
course with  each  other.  But  after  a  few  years,  one 
of  the  men  deemed  that  an  intentional  affront  had 
been  offered  him  by  the  other.  Instead  of  good-na- 
tured frankness  on  the  occasion,  he  behaved  in  a  sul- 
len manner,  which  provoked  the  .other,  and  the  result 
was  that  eventually  neither  of  them  would  speak 
when  they  met.  Their  fields  joined,  and  when  they 
were  on  friendly  terms,  the  boundary  was  marked 


254  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

by  a  fence,  which  they  alternately  repaired.  But 
when  there  was  feud  between  them,  neither  of  them 
was  willing  to  mend  the  other's  fence.  So  each  one 
built  a  fence  for  himself,  leaving  a  very  narrow  strip 
of  land  between,  which  in  process  of  time  came  to 
be  generally  known  by  the  name  of  Devil's  Lane,  in 
allusion  to  the  bad  temper  that  produced  it.  A 
brook  formed  another  portion  of  the  boundary  be- 
tween their  farms,  and  was  useful  to  both  of  them. 
But  after  they  became  enemies,  if  a  freshet  occurred, 
each  watched  an  opportunity  to  turn  the  water  on 
the  other's  land,  by  which  much  damage  was  mutu- 
ally done.  They  were  so  much  occupied  with  injur- 
ing each  other  in  every  possible  way,  that  they  neg- 
lected their  farms  and  grew  poorer  and  poorer.  One 
of  them  became  intemperate  ;  and  everything  about 
their  premises  began  to  wear  an  aspect  of  desolation 
and  decay.  At  last,  one  of  the  farms  was  sold  to 
pay  a  mortgage,  and  John  Tatum,  who  was  then 
about  to  be  married,  concluded  to  purchase  it.  Many 
people  warned  him  of  the  trouble  he  would  have 
with  a  quarrelsome  and  intemperate  neighbor.  But, 
after  mature  reflection,  he  concluded  to  trust  to  the 
influence  of  a  peaceful  and  kind  example,  and  ac- 
cordingly purchased  the  farm. 

Soon  after  he  removed  thither,  he  proposed  to  do 
away  the  Devil's  Lane  by  building  a  new  fence  on 
the  boundary,  entirely  at  his  own  expense.  His 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    I.    HOPPER.  255 

neighbor  acceded  to  the  proposition  in  a  very  surly 
manner,  and  for  a  considerable  time  seemed  deter- 
mined to  find,  or  make  some  occasion  for  quarrel. 
But  the  young  Quaker  met  all  his  provocations  with 
forbearance,  and  never  missed  an  opportunity  to 
oblige  him.  Good  finally  overcame  evil.  The  tur- 
bulent spirit,  having  nothing  to  excite  it,  gradually 
subsided  into  calmness.  In  process  of  time,  he 
evinced  a  disposition  to  be  kind  and  obliging  also. 
Habits  of  temperance  and  industry  returned,  and 
during  the  last  years  of  his  life  he  -was  considered  a 
remarkably  good  neighbor. 

Friend  Hopper's  attachment  to  the  religious  socie- 
ty he  had  joined  in  early  life  was  quite  as  strong, 
perhaps  even  stronger,  than  his  love  of  kindred. 
The  Yearly  Meeting  of  Friends  at  Philadelphia  was 
a  season  of  great  satisfaction,  and  he  delighted  to 
have  his  house  full  of  guests,  even  to  overflowing. 
On  these  occasions,  he  obeyed  the  impulses  of  his 
generous  nature  by  seeking  out  the  least  wealthy 
and  distinguished,  who  would  be  less  likely  than 
others  to  receive  many  invitations.  In  addition  to 
these,  who  were  often  personal  strangers  to  him,  he  had 
his  own  familiar  and  cherished  friends.  A  day  sel- 
dom passed  without  a  visit  from  Nicholas  Wain,  who- 
had  great  respect  and  affection  for  him  and  his  wife, 
and  delighted  in  their  society.  He  cordially  approv- 
ed of  their  consistency  in  carrying  out  their  consci- 


256  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

entious  convictions  into  the  practices  of  daily  life. 
Some  of  Isaac's  relatives  and  friends  thought  he  de- 
voted rather  too  much  time  and  attention  to  philan- 
thropic missions,  but  Nicholas  Wain  always  stood  by 
him,  a  warm  and  faithful  friend  to  the  last.  He  was 
a  true  gentleman,  of  courtly,  pleasing  manners,  and 
amusing  conversation.  Notwithstanding  his  weight 
of  character,  he  was  so  playful  with  the  children, 
that  his  visits  were  always  hailed  by  them,  as  de- 
lightful opportunities  for  fun  and  frolic.  He  looked 
beneath  the  surface  of  society,  and  had  learned  to 
estimate  men  and  things  according  to  their  real  value, 
not  by  a  conventional  standard.  His  wife  did  not 
regard  the  pomps  and  vanities  of  the  world  with  pre- 
cisely the  same  degree  of  indifference  that  he  did. 
She  thought  it  would  be  suitable  to  their  wealth  and 
station  to  have  a  footman  behind  her  carriage.  This 
wish  being  frequently  expressed,  her  husband  at  last 
promised  to  comply  with  it.  Accordingly,  the  next 
time  the  carriage  was  ordered,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  a  stylish  call,  she  was  gratified  to  see  a  foot- 
man mounted.  When  she  arrived  at  her  place  of 
destination,  the  door  of  her  carriage  was  opened,  and 
the  steps  let  down  in  a  very  obsequious  manner,  by 
the  new  servant ;  and  great  was  her  surprise  and 
confusion,  to  recognize  in  him  her  own  husband  ! 

Jacob  Lindley,    of  Chester   county,  was  another 
frequent  visitor  at  Friend  Hopper's  house  ;  and  many 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

were  the  lively  conversations  they  had  together.  He 
was  a  preacher  in  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  missed 
no  opportunity,  either  in  public  or  private,  to  protest 
earnestly  against  the  sin  of  slavery.  He  often  cau- 
tioned Friends  against  laying  too  much  stress  on  their 
own  peculiar  forms,  while  they  professed  to  abjure 
forms.  He  said  he  himself  had  once  received  a  les- 
son on  this  subject,  which  did  him  much  good.  Once, 
when  he  was  seated  in  meeting,  an  influential  Friend 
walked  in,  dressed  in  a  coat  with  large  metal  buttons, 
which  he  had  borrowed  in  consequence  of  a  drench- 
ing rain !  He  seated  himself  opposite  to  Jacob 
Lindley,  who  was  so  much  disturbed  by  the  glitter- 
ing buttons,  that  "his  meeting  did  him  no  good." 
When  the  congregation  rose  to  depart,  he  felt  con- 
strained to  go  up  to  the  Friend  who  had  so  much 
troubled  him,  and  inquire  why  he  had  so  grievously 
departed  from  the  simplicity  enjoined  upon  members 
of  their  Society.  The  good  man  looked  down  upon 
his  garments,  and  quietly  replied,  "  I  borrowed  the 
coat  because  my  own  was  wet ;  and  indeed,  Jacob, 
I  did  not  notice  what  buttons  were  on  it."  Jacob 
shook  his  hand  warmly,  and  said,  "Thou  art  a  bet- 
ter Christian  than  I  am,  and  I  will  learn  of  thee." 

He  often  used  to  inculcate  the  same  moral  by  re- 
lating another  incident,  which  happened  in  old  times, 
when  Quakers  were  accustomed  to  wear  cocked  hats 
turned  up  at  the  sides.  A  Friend  bought  a  hat  of 


258  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

this  description,  without  observing  that  it  was  looped 
up  with  a  button.  As  he  sat  in  meeting  with  his  hat 
on,  as  usual,  he  observed  many  eyes  directed  toward 
him,  and  some  with  a  very  sorrowful  expression. 
He  could  not  conjecture  a  reason  for  this,  till  he 
happened  to  take  off  his  hat  and  lay  it  beside  him. 
As  soon  as  he  noticed  the  button,  he  rose  and  said, 
"Friends,  if  religion  consists  in  a  button,  I  wouldn't 
give  a  button  for  it."  Having  delivered  this  short 
and  pithy  sermon,  he  seated  himself,  and  resumed 
the  offending  hat  with  the  utmost  composure. 

Once,  when  Jacob  Lindley  was  dining  with  Friend 
Hopper,  the  conversation  turned  upon  his  religious 
experiences,  and  he  related  a  circumstance  to  which 
he  said  he  very  seldom  alluded,  and  never  without 
feelings  of  solemnity  and  awTe.  Being  seized  with 
sudden  and  severe  illness,  his  soul  left  the  body  for 
several  hours,  during  which  time  he  saw  visions  of 
heavenly  glory,  not  to  be  described.  When  con- 
sciousness began  to  return,  he  felt  grieved  that  he 
was  obliged  to  come  back  to  this  state  of  being,  and 
he  was  never  after  able  to  feel  the  same  interest  in 
terrestrial  things,  that  he  had  felt  before  he  obtained 
this  glimpse  of  the  spiritual  world. 

Arthur  Howell  was  another  intimate  acquaintance 
of  Friend  Hopper.  He  was  a  currier  in  Philadel- 
phia, a  preacher  in  the  Society  of  Friends,  charac- 
terized by  kindly  feelings,  and  a  very  tender  con- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  259 

science.  Upon  one  occasion,  he  purchased  from  the 
captain  of  a  vessel  a  quantity  of  oil,  which  he  after- 
ward sold  at  an  advanced  price.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances, he  thought  the  captain  had  not  received 
so  much  as  he  ought  to  have ;  and  he  gave  him  an 
additional  dollar  on  every  barrel.  This  man  was  re- 
maikable  for  spiritual-mindedness  and  the  gift  of 
prophecy.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  him  to 
relate  occurrences  which  were  happening  at  the  mo- 
ment many  miles  distant,  and  to  foretell  the  arrival 
of  people,  or  events,  when  there  appeared  to  be  no 
external  reasons  on  which  to  ground  such  expecta- 
tions. 

One  Sunday  morning,  he  was  suddenly  impelled 
to  proceed  to  Germantown  in  haste.  As  he  ap- 
proached 'the  village,  he  met  a  funeral  procession. 
He  had  no  knowledge  whatever  of  the  deceased ; 
but  it  was  suddenly  revealed  to  him  that  the  occu- 
pant of  the  coffin  before  him  was  a  woman  whose 
life  had  been  saddened  by  the  suspicion  of  a  crime, 
which  she  never  committed.  The  impression  be- 
came very  strong  on  his  mind  that  she  wished  him 
to  make  certain  statements  at  her  funeral.  Accord- 
ingly, he  followed  the  procession,  and  when  they 
arrived  at  the  meeting-house,  he  entered  and  listened 
to  the  prayer  delivered  by  her  pastor.  When  the 
customary  services  were  finished,  Arthur  Howell 
rose,  and  asked  permission  to  speak.  "I  did  not 


260  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

know  the  deceased,  even  by  name,"  said  he.  "But 
it  is  given  me  to  say,  that  she  suffered  much  and 
unjustly.  Her  neighbors  generally  suspected  her 
of  a  crime,  which  she  did  not  commit ;  and  in  a  few 
weeks  from  this  time,  it  will  be  made  clearly  mani- 
fest to  the  world  that  she  was  innocent.  A  few 
hours  before  her  death,  she  talked  on  this  subject 
with  the  clergyman  who  attended  upon  her,  and 
who  is  now  present ;  and  it  is  given  me  to  declare 
the  communication  she  made  to  him  upon  that  oc- 
casion." 

He  then  proceeded  to  relate  the  particulars  of  the 
interview ;  to  which  the  clergyman  listened  with 
evident  astonishment.  When  the  communication 
was  finished,  he  said,  "I  don't  know  who  this  man 
is,  or  how  he  has  obtained  information  on  this  sub- 
ject ;  but  certain  it  is,  he  has  repeated,  word  for 
word,  a  conversation  which  I  supposed  was  known 
only  to  myself  and  the  deceased." 

The  woman  in  question  had  gone  out  in  the  fields 
one  day,  with  her  infant  in  her  arms,  and  she  re- 
turned without  it.  She  said  she  had  laid  it  down 
on  a  heap  of  dry  leaves,  while  she  went  to  pick  a 
few  flowers  ;  and  when  she  returned,  the  baby  was 
gone.  The  fields  and  woods  were  searched  in  vain, 
and  neighbors  began  to  whisper  that  she  had  com- 
mitted infanticide.  Then  rumors  arose  that  she  was 
dissatisfied  with  her  marriage ;  that  her  heart  re- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  261 

mained  with  a  young  man  to  whom  she  was  pre- 
viously engaged  ;  and  that  her  brain  was  affected  by 
this  secret  unhappiness.  She  was  never  publicly  ac- 
cused ;  partly  because  there  was  no  evidence  against 
her,  and  partly  because  it  was  supposed  that  if  she 
did  commit  the  crime,  it  must  have  been  owing  to 
aberation  of  mind.  But  she  became  aware  of  the 
whisperings  against  her,  and  the  consciousness  of 
being  an  object  of  suspicion,  combined  with  the 
mysterious  disappearance  of  her  child,  cast  a  heavy 
cloud  over  her  life,  and  made  her  appear  more  and 
more  unlike  her  former  self.  This  she  confided  to 
her  clergyman,  in  the  interview  shortly  preceding 
her  death  ;  and  she  likewise  told  him  that  the  young 
man,  to  whom  she  had  been  engaged,  had  never  for- 
given her  for  not  marrying  him. 

A  few  weeks  after  her  decease,  this  young  man 
confessed  that  he  had  stolen  the  babe.  He  had  fol- 
lowed the  mother,  unobserved  by  her,  and  had  seen 
her  lay  the  sleeping  infant  on  its  bed  of  leaves.  As 
he  gazed  upon  it,  a  mingled  feeling  of  jealousy  and 
revenge  took  possession  of  his  soul.  In  obedience 
to  a  sudden  impulse,  he  seized  the  babe,  and  carried 
it  off  hastily.  He  subsequently  conveyed  it  to  a  dis- 
tant village,  and  placed  it  out  to  nurse,  under  an 
assumed  name  and  history.  The  child  was  found 
alive  and  well,  at  the  place  he  indicated.  Thus  the 
mother's  innocence  was  made  clearly  manifest  to  the 


262  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

world,  as  the  Quaker  preacher  had  predicted  at  her 
funeral. 

I  often  heard  Friend  Hopper  relate  this  anecdote, 
and  he  always  said  that  he  could  vouch  for  the 
truth  of  it ;  and  for  several  other  similar  things  in 
connection  with  the  ministry  of  his  friend  Arthur. 

A  singular  case  of  inward  perception  likewise  oc- 
curred in  the  experience  of  his  own  mother.  In  her 
Diary,  which  is  still  preserved  in  the  family,  she 
describes  a  visit  to  some  of  her  children  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  adds :  "  Soon  after  this,  the  Lord  showed 
me  that  I  should  lose  a  son.  It  was  often  told  me, 
though  without  sound  of  words.  Nothing  could  be 
more  intelligible  than  this  still,  small  voice.  It 
said,  Thou  wilt  lose  a  son ;  and  he  is  a  pleasant 
child." 

Her  son  James  resided  with  relatives  in  Philadel- 
phia, and  often  went  to  bathe  in  the  Delaware.  On 
one  of  these  occasions,  soon  after  his  mother's  visit, 
a  friend  who  went  with  him  sank  in  the  water,  and 
James  lost  his  own  life  by  efforts  to  save  him.  A 
messenger  was  sent  to  inform  his  parents,  who  lived 
at  the  distance  of  eight  miles.  While  he  staid  in 
the  house,  reluctant  to  do  his  mournful  errand,  the 
mother  was  siezed  with  sudden  dread,  and  heard 
the  inward  voice  saying,  "James  is  drowned."  She 
said  abruptly  to  the  messenger,  "Thou  hast  come 
to  tell  me  that  my  son  James  is  drowned.  Oh,  how 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  263 

did  it  happen  ? "  He  was  much  surprised,  and  asked 
why  she  thought  so.  She  could  give  no  explanation 
of  it,  except  that  it  had  been  suddenly  revealed  to 
her  mind. 

I  have  heard  and  read  many  such  stories  of  Qua- 
kers, which  seem  too  well  authenticated  to  admit  of 
doubt.  They  themselves  refer  all  such  cases  to  "the 
inward  light ; "  and  that  phrase,  as  they  understand 
it,  conveys  a  satisfactory  explanation  to  their  minds. 
I  leave  psychologists  to  settle  the  question  as  they 
can. 

Those  who  are  well  acquainted  with  Quaker  views, 
are  aware  that  by  "the  inward  light,"  they  signify 
something  higher  and  more  comprehensive  than  con- 
science. They  regard  it  as  the  voice  of  God  in  the 
soul,  which  will  always  guard  man  from  evil,  and 
guide  him  into  truth,  if  reverently  listened  to,  in 
stillness  of  the  passions,  and  obedience  of  the  will. 
These  strong  impressions  on  individual  minds  con- 
stitute their  only  call  and  consecration  to  the  minis- 
try, and  have  directed  them  in  the  application  of 
moral  principles  to  a  variety  of  subjects,  such  as  in- 
temperance, war,  and  slavery.  Men  and  women 
were  impelled  by  the  interior  monitor  to  go  about 
preaching  on  these  topics,  until  their  individual  views 
became  what  are  called  "leading  testimonies"  in  the 
Society.  The  abjuration  of  slavery  was  one  of  their 
earliest  "testimonies."  There  was  much  preaching 


264          LIFE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 

against  it  in  their  public  meetings,  and  many  com- 
mittees were  appointed  to  expostulate  in  private  with 
those  who  held  slaves.  At  an  early  period,  it  be- 
came an  established  rule  of  discipline  for  the  Society 
to  disown  any  member,  who  refused  to  manumit  his 
bondmen. 

Friend  Hopper  used  to  tell  an  interesting  anecdote 
in  connection  with  these  committees.  In  the  course 
of  their  visits,  they  concluded  to  pass  by  one  of 
their  members,  who  held  only  one  slave,  and  he  was 
very  old.  He  was  too  infirm  to  earn  his  own  living, 
and  as  he  was  very  kindly  treated,  they  supposed  he 
would  have  no  wish  for  freedom.  But  Isaac  Jack- 
son, one  of  the  committee,  a  very  benevolent  and 
conscientious  man,  had  a  strong  impression  on  his 
mind  that  duty  required  him  not  to  omit  this  case. 
He  accordingly  went  alone  to  the  master,  and  stated 
how  the  subject  appeared  to  him,  in  the  inward  light 
of  his  own  soul.  The  Friend  was  not  easily  con- 
vinced. He  brought  forward  many  reasons  for  not 
emancipating  his  slave ;  and  one  of  the  strongest 
was  that  the  man  was  too  feeble  to  labor  for  his  own 
support,  and  therefore  freedom  would  be  of  no  value 
to  him.  Isaac  Jackson  replied,  "He  labored  for 
thee  without  wages,  while  he  had  strength,  and  it  is 
thy  duty  to  support  him  now.  Whether  he  would 
value  freedom  or  not,  is  a  question  he  alone  is  com- 
petent to  decide." 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  265 

These  friendly  remonstrances  produced  such  effect, 
that  the  master  agreed  to  manumit  his  bondman, 
and  give  a  written  obligation  that  he  should  be  com- 
fortably supported  during  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
by  him  or  his  heirs.  When  the  papers  were  prepar- 
ed the  slave  was  called  into  the  parlor,  and  Isaac 
Jackson  inquired,  "Would'st  thou  like  to  be  free?" 
He  promptly  answered  that  he  should.  The  Friend 
suggested  that  he  was  now  too  feeble  to  labor  much, 
and  inquired  how  he  would  manage  to  obtain  a  liv- 
ing. The  old  man  meekly  replied,  "Providence  has 
been  kind  to  me  thus  far  ;  and  I  am  willing  to  trust 
him  the  rest  of  my  life." 

Isaac  Jackson  then  held  up  the  papers  and  said, 
"Thou  art  a  free  man.  Thy  master  has  manumitted 
thee,  and  promised  to  maintain  thee  as  long  as  thou 
mayest  live." 

This  was  so  unexpected,  that  the  aged  bondman 
was  completely  overcome.  For  a  few  moments,  he 
remained  in  profound  silence ;  then,  with  a  sudden 
impulse,  he  fell  on  his  knees,  and  poured  forth  a 
short  and  fervent  prayer  of  thanksgiving  to  his 
Heavenly  Father,  for  prolonging  his  life  till  he  had 
the  happiness  to  feel  himself  a  free  man. 

The  master  and  his  adviser  were  both  surprised 
and  affected  by  this  eloquent  outburst  of  grateful 
feeling.     The  poor  old  servant  had  seemed  so  com- 
fortable and  contented,  that  no  one  supposed  freedom 
12 


266  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

was  of  great  importance  to  him.  But,  as  honest 
Isaac  Jackson  observed,  he  alone  was  competent  to 
decide  that  question. 

Quakers  consider  "the  inward  light"  as  a  guide 
not  merely  in  cases  involving  moral  principles,  but 
also  in  the  regulation  of  external  affairs  ;  and  in  the 
annals  of  their  Society,  are  some  remarkable  instan- 
ces of  dangers  avoided  by  the  help  of  this  internal 
monitor. 

Friend  Hopper  used  to  mention  a  case  where  a 
strong  impression  had  been  made  on  his  own'  mind, 
without  his  being  able  to  assign  any  adequate  reason 
for  it.  A  young  man,  descended  from  a  highly  re- 
spectable Quaker  family  in  New-Jersey,  went  to 
South  Carolina  and  entered  into  business.  He  mar- 
ried there,  and  as  his  wife  did  not  belong  to  the  So- 
ciety of  Friends,  he  was  of  course  disowned.  After 
some  years  of  commercial  success,  he  failed,  and 
went  to  Philadelphia,  where  Friend  Hopper  became 
acquainted  with  him,  and  formed  an  opinion  not  un- 
favorable. When  he  had  been  in  that  city  some 
time,  he  mentioned  that  his  wife  owned  land  in  Caro- 
lina, which  he  was  very  desirous  to  cultivate,  but 
was  prevented  by  conscientious  scruples  concerning 
slave-labor.  He  said  if  he  could  induce  some  colored 
people  from  Philadelphia  to  go  there  and  work  for 
him  as  free  laborers,  it  would  be  an  advantage  to 
him,  and  a  benefit  to  them.  He  urged  Friend  Hop- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  267 

per  to  exert  his  influence  over  them  to  convince 
them  that  such  precautions  could  be  taken,  as  would 
prevent  any  danger  of  their  being  reduced  to  slave- 
ry ;  saying  that  if  he  would  consent  to  do  so,  he 
doubtless  could  obtain  as  many  laborers  as  he  want- 
ed. The  plan  appeared  feasible,  and  Friend  Hopper 
\  was  inclined  to  assist  him  in  carrying  it  into  execu- 
tion. Soon  after,  two  colored  men  called  upon  him, 
and  said  they  were  ready  to  go,  provided  he  thought 
well  of  the  project.  Nothing  had  occurred  to  change 
his  opinion  of  the  man,  or  to  excite  distrust  concern- 
ing his  agricultural  scheme.  But  an  impression  came 
upon  his  mind  that  the  laborers  had  better  not  go  ; 
an  impression  so  strong,  that  he  thought  it  right  to 
be  influenced  by  it.  He  accordingly  told  them  he 
had  thought  well  of  the  plan,  but  his  views  had 
changed,  and  he  advised  them  to  remain  where  they 
wrere.  This  greatly  surprised  the  man  who  wished 
to  employ  them,  and  he  called  to  expostulate  on  the 
subject ;  repeating  his  statement  concerning  the 
great  advantage  they  would  derive  from  entering  in- 
to his  service. 

"  There  is  no  use  in  arguing  the  matter,"  replied 
Friend  Hopper.  "  I  have  no  cause  whatever  to  sus- 
pect thee  of  any  dishonest  or  dishonorable  inten- 
tions ;  but  there  is  on  my  mind  an  impression  of  dan- 
ger, so  powerful  that  I  cannot  conscientiously  have 


268  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

any  agency  in  inducing  colored  laborers  to  go  with 
thee." 

Not  succeeding  in  his  project,  the  bankrupt  mer- 
chant went  to  New-Jersey  for  a  time,  to  reside  with 
his  father,  who  was  a  worthy  and  influential  member 
of  the  Society  of  Friends.  An  innocent,  good  na- 
tured  old  colored  man,  a  fugitive  from  Virginia,  had 
for  some  time  been  employed  to  work  on  the  farm, 
and  the  family  had  become  much  attached  to  him. 
The  son  who  had  returned  from  Carolina  was  very 
friendly  with  this  simple-hearted  old  servant,  and 
easily  gained  his  confidence.  When  he  had  learned 
his  story,  he  offered  to  write  to  his  master,  and  ena- 
ble him  to  purchase  his  freedom  for  a  sum  which  he 
could  gradually  repay  by  labor.  The  fugitive  was 
exceedingly  grateful,  and  put  himself  completely  in 
his  power  by  a  full  statement  of  all  particulars. 
The  false-hearted  man  did  indeed  write  to  the  mas- 
ter ;  and  the  poor  old  slave  was  soon  after  arrested 
and  carried  to  Philadelphia  in  irons.  Friend  Hop- 
per was  sent  for,  and  went  to  see  him  in  prison. 
With  groans  and  sobs,  the  captive  told  how  wickedly 
he  had  been  deceived.  "I  thought  he  was  a  Quaker, 
and  so  I  trusted  him,"  said  he.  "But  I  saw  my 
master's  agent  pay  him  fifty  dollars  for  betraying  me."^ 

Friend  Hopper  assured  him  that  the  deceiver  was 
not  a  Quaker  ;  and  that  he  did  not  believe  any  Qua- 
ker on  the  face  of  the  earth  would  do  such  an  unjust 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  269 

and  cruel  deed.  He  could  devise  no  means  to  rescue 
the  sufferer ;  and  with  an  aching  heart  he  was  com- 
pelled to  see  him  carried  off  into  slavery,  without 
being-  able  to  offer  any  other  solace  than  an  affec- 
tionate farewell. 

i  The  conduct  of  this  base  hypocrite  proved  that 
the  warning  presentiment  against  him  had  not  been 
without  foundation.  Grieved  and  indignant  at  the 
wrong  he  had  done  to  a  helpless  and  unoffending  fel- 
low-creature, Friend  Hopper  wrote  to  him  as  fol- 
lows:  "Yesterday,  I  visited  the  poor  old  man  in 
prison,  whom  thou  hast  so  perfidiously  betrayed. 
Gloomy  and  hopeless  as  his  case  is,  I  would  prefer  it 
to  thine.  Thou  hast  received  fifty  dollars  as  the  re- 
ward of  thy  tre*achery ;  but  what  good  can  it  do 
thee  ?  Canst  thou  lay  down  thy  head  at  night,  with- 
out feeling  the  sharp  goadings  of  a  guilty  conscience ? 
Canst  thou  ask  forgiveness  of  thy  sins  of  our  Heav- 
enly Father,  whom  thou  hast  so  grievously  insulted 
by  thy  hypocrisy  ?  Judas  betrayed  his  master  for 
thirty  pieces  of  silver,  and  afterward  hung  himself. 
Thou  hast  betrayed  thy  brother  for  fifty  ;  and  if  thy 
conscience  is  not  seared,  as  writh  hot  iron,  thy  com- 
punction must  be  great.  I  feel  no  disposition  to  up- 
braid thee.  I  have  no  doubt  thy  own  heart  does  that 
sufficiently  ;  for  our  beneficent  Creator  will  not  suffer 
any  to  be  at  ease  in  their  sins.  Thy  friend,  I.  T.  H." 
The  worthy  old  Quaker  in  New-Jersey  w*as  not 


270  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

aware  of  his  son's  villainous  conduct  until  some 
time  after.  When  the  circumstances  were  made 
known  to  the  family  they  were  exceedingly  morti- 
fied and  afflicted. 

Friend  Hopper  used  to  tell  another  story,  which 
forms  a  beautiful  contrast  to  the  foregoing  painful 
narrative.  I  repeat  it,  because  it  illustrates  the  ten- 
derness of  spirit,  which  has  so  peculiarly  character- 
ized the  Society  of  Friends,  and  because  I  hope  it 
may  fall  like  dew  on  hearts  parched  by  vindictive 
feelings.  Charles  Carey  lived  near  Philadelphia,  in 
a  comfortable  house  with  a  few  acres  of  pasture  ad- 
joining. A  young  horse,  apparently  healthy,  though 
lean,  was  one  day  offered  him  in  the  market  for  fifty 
dollars.  The  cheapness  tempted  him  to  purchase ; 
for  he  thought  the  clover  of  his  pastures  would  soon 
put  the  animal  in  good  condition,  and  enable  him  to 
sell  him  at  an  advanced  price.  He  was  too  poor  to 
command  the  required  sum  himself,  but  he  borrowed 
it  of  a  friend.  The  horse,  being  well  fed  and  lightly 
worked,  soon  became  a  noble  looking  animal,  and 
was  taken  to  the  city  for  sale.  But  scarcely  had  he 
entered  the  market,  when  a  stranger  stepped  up  and 
claimed  him  as  his  property,  recently  stolen.  Charles 
Carey's  son,  who  had  charge  of  the  animal,  was 
taken  before  a  magistrate.  Isaac  T.  Hopper  was 
sssnt  for,  and  easily  proved  that  the  character  of  the 
young  man  and  his  father  was  above  all  suspicion. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  271 

But  the  stranger  produced  satisfactory  evidence  that 
he  was  the  rightful  owner  of  the  horse,  which  was 
accordingly  delivered  up  to  him.  When  Charles 
Carey  heard  the  unwelcome  news,  he  quietly  re- 
marked, "  It  is  hard  for  me  to  lose  the  money  ;  but 
T  am  glad  the  man  has  recovered  his  property." 

About  a  year  afterward,  having  occasion  to  go  to 
a  tavern  in  Philadelphia,  he  saw  a  man  in  the  bar- 
room, whom  he  at  once  recognized  as  the  person 
who  had  sold  him  the  horse.     He  walked  up  to  him 
and  inquired  whether  he  remembered  the  transac 
tion.     Being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he   said 
"I  am  the  man  who  bought  that  horse.     Didst  thou 
Know  he  was  stolen  ?"     With  a  stupified  manner  and 
a  faltering  voice,  the  stranger  answered,  "Yes." 

"  Come  along  with  me,  then,"  said  Charles  ;  "and 
I  will  put  thee  where  thou  wilt  not  steal  another 
horse  very  soon." 

The  thief  resigned  himself  to  his  fate  with  a  sort 
of  hopeless  indifference.  But  before  they  reached 
the  magistrate's  office,  the  voice  within  began  to 
plead  gently  with  the  Quaker,  and  turned  him  from 
the  sternness  of  his  purpose.  "I  am  a  poor  man," 
said  he,  "and  thou  hast  greatly  injured  me.  I  can- 
not afford  to  lose  fifty  dollars  ;  but  to  prosecute  thee 
will  not  compensate  me  for  the  loss.  Go  thy  way, 
and  conduct  thyself  honestly  in  future." 

The  man  seemed  amazed.     He  stood  for  a  mo- 


272  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

ment,  hesitating  and  confused ;  then  walked  slowly 
away.  But  after  taking  a  few  steps,  he  turned  back 
and  said,  "Where  can  I  find  you,  if  I  should  ever 
be  able  to  make  restitution  for  the  wrong  I  have 
done  ?" 

Charles  replied,  "  I  trust  thou  dost  not  intend  to 
jest  with  me,  after  all  the  trouble  thou  hast  caused 
me?" 

"No,  indeed  I  do  not,"  answered  the  stranger. 
"I  hope  to  repay  you,  some  time  or  other." 

"Very  well,"  rejoined  the  Friend,  "if  thou  ever 
hast  anything  for  me,  thou  canst  leave  it  with  Isaac 
T.  Hopper,  at  the  corner  of  Walnut  and  Dock- 
streets."  Thus  they  parted,  and  never  met  again. 

About  a  year  after,  Friend  Hopper  found  a  letter 
on  his  desk,  addressed  to  Charles  Carey.  WThen  it 
was  delivered  to  him,  he  was  surprised  to  find  that  it 
came  from  the  man  who  had  stolen  the  horse,  and 
contained  twenty  dollars.  A  few  months  later,  an- 
other letter  containing  the  same  sum,  was  left  in  the 
same  way.  Not  long  after,  a  third  letter  arrived, 
enclosing  twenty  dollars ;  the  whole  forming  a  sum 
sufficient  to  repay  both  principal  and  interest  of  the 
money  which  the  kind-hearted  Quaker  had  lost  by 
his  dishonesty. 

This  last  letter  stated  that  the  writer  had  no 
thoughts  of  stealing  the  horse  ten  minutes  before  he 
did  it.  After  he  had  sold  him,  he  was  so  haunted  by 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  273 

remorse  and  fear  of  detection,  that  life  became  a 
burthen  to  him,  and  he  cared  not  what  became  of 
him.  But  when  he  was  arrested,  and  so  unexpect- 
edly set  at  liberty,  the  crushing  weight  was  taken 
from  him.  He  felt  inspired  by  fresh  courage,  and 
sustained  by  the  hope  of  making  some  atonement  for 
what  he  had  done.  He  made  strenuous  efforts  to 
improve  his  condition,  and  succeeded.  He  was  then 
teaching  school,  was  assessor  of  the  township  where 
he  resided,  and  no  one  suspected  that  he  had  ever 
committed  a  dishonest  action. 

The  good  man,  to  whom  this  epistle  was  address- 
ed, read  it  with  moistened  eyes,  and  felt  that  the  re- 
ward of  righteousness  is  peace. 

For  many  years  after  Isaac  T.  Hopper  joined  the 
Society  of  Friends,  a  spirit  of  peace  and  of  kindly 
communion  prevailed  among  them.  No  sect  has 
ever  arisen  which  so  nearly  approached  the  charac- 
ter of  primitive  Christianity,  in  all  relations  with 
each  other  and  with  their  fellow  men.  But  as  soon 
as  the  early  Christians  were  relieved  from  persecu- 
tion, they  began  to  persecute  each  other ;  and  so  it 
was  with  the  Quakers.  Having  become  established 
and  respected  by  the  world,  the  humble  and  self-de- 
nying spirit  which  at  the  outset  renounced  and  con- 
tended with  the  world  gradually  departed.  Many 
of  them  were  rich,  and  not  unfrequently  their  for- 
tunes were  acquired  by  trading  with  slave-holders. 
12* 


274  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Such  men  were  well  satisfied  to  have  the  testimonies 
of  their  spiritual  •  forefathers  against  slavery  read 
over  among  themselves,  at  stated  seasons  ;  but  they 
felt  little  sympathy  with  those  of  their  cotemporanes, 
who  considered  it  a  duty  to  remonstrate  publicly  and 
freely  with  all  who  were  connected  with  the  iniqui- 
tous system. 

A  strong  and  earnest  preacher,  by  the  name  of 
Elias  Hicks,  made  himself  more  offensive  than  others 
in  this  respect.  He  appears  to  have  been  a  very 
just  and  conscientious  man,  with  great  reverence  for 
God,  and  exceedingly  little  for  human  authority. 
Everywhere,  in  public  and  in  private,  he  lifted  up  his 
voice  against  the  sin  of  slavery.  He  would  eat  no 
sugar  that  was  made  by  slaves,  and  wear  no  gar- 
ment which  he  supposed  to  have  been  produced  by 
unpaid  labor.  In  a  remarkable  manner,  he  showed 
this  "ruling  passion  strong  in  death."  A  few  hours 
before  he  departed  from  this  world,  his  friends,  see- 
ing him  shiver,  placed  a  comfortable  over  him.  He 
felt  of  it  with  his  feeble  hands,  and  made  a  strong 
effort  to  push  it  away.  When  they  again  drew  it  up 
over  his  shoulders,  he  manifested  the  same  symp- 
toms of  abhorrence.  One  of  them,  who  began  to 
conjecture  the  cause,  inquired,  "Dost  thou  dislike 
it  because  it  is  made  of  cotton  ?"  He  was  too  far 
gone  to  speak,  but  he  moved  his  head  in  token  of  as- 
sent. When  they  removed  the  article  of  slave  pro- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  275 

duce,  and  substituted  a  woolen  blanket,  he  remained 
quiet,  and  passed  away  in  peace. 

He  was  accustomed  to  say,  "  It  takes  live  nsh  to 
swim  up  stream;"  and  unquestionably  he  and  his 
friend  Isaac  T.  Hopper  were  both  very  much  alive. 
The  quiet  boldness  of  this  man  was  altogether  unman- 
ageable. In  Virginia  or  Carolina,  he  preached  more 
earnestly  and  directly  against  slavery,  than  he  did  in 
New-York  or  Pennsylvania,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  it  seemed  to  be  more  needed  there.  Upon  one 
of  these  occasions,  a  slaveholder  who  went  to  hear 
him  from  curiosity,  left  the  meeting  in  great  wrath, 
swearing  he  would  blow  out  that  fellow's  brains  if  he 
ventured  near  his  plantation.  When  the  preacher 
heard  of  this  threat,  he  put  on  his  hat  and  proceeded 
straightway  to  the  forbidden  place.  In  answer  to  his 
inquiries,  a  slave  informed  him  that  his  master  was 
then  at  dinner,  but  would  see  him  in  a  short  time. 
He  seated  himself  arid  waited  patiently  until  the 
planter  entered  the  room.  With  a  calm  and  digni- 
fied manner,  he  thus  addressed  him  :  "I  understand 
thou  hast  threatened  to  blow  out  the  brains  of  Elias 
Hicks,  if  he  comes  upon  thy  plantation.  I  am  Elias 
Hicks." 

The  Virginian  acknowledged  that  he  did  make 
such  a  threat,  and  said  he  considered  it  perfectly  jus- 
tifiable to  do  such  a  deed,  when  a  man  came  to 
preach  rebellion  to  his  slaves. 


276  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

"I  came  to  preach  the  Gospel,  which  inculcates 
forgiveness  of  injuries  upon  slaves  as  well  as  upon 
other  men,"  replied  the  Quaker.  "  But  tell  me,  if 
thou  canst,  how  this  Gospel  can  be  truly  preached, 
without  showing  the  slaves  that  they  are  injured, 
and  thus  making  a  man  of  thy  sentiments  feel  as  if 
they  were  encouraged  in  rebellion." 

This  led  to  a  long  argument,  maintained  in  the 
most  friendly  spirit.  At  parting,  the  slaveholder 
shook  hands  with  the  preacher,  and  invited  him  to 
come  again.  His  visits  were  renewed,  and  six 
months  after,  the  Virginian  emancipated  all  his  slaves. 

When  preaching  in  the  free  states,  he  earnestly 
called  upon  all  to  abstain  from  slave-produce,  and 
thus  in  a  measure  wash  their  own  hands  from  parti- 
cipation in  a  system  of  abominable  wickedness  and 
cruelty.  His  zeal  on  this  subject  annoyed  some  of 
his  brethren,  but  they  could  not  make  him  am  en  a 
ble  to  discipline  for  it ;  for  these  views  were  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  earliest  and  strongest  testimonies 
of  the  Society  of  Friends ;  moreover,  it  would  have 
been  discreditable  to  acknowledge  such  a  ground  of 
offence.  But  the  secret  dissatisfaction  showed  itself 
in  a  disposition  to  find  fault  with  him.  Charges 
were  brought  against  his  doctrines.  He  was  accused 
of  denying  the  authority  of  Scripture,  and  the  di- 
vinity of  Christ. 

Tt  was  a  departure  from  the  original  basis  of  the 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  277 

Society,  to  assume  any  standard  whatsoever  con- 
cerning creeds.  It  is  true  that  the  early  Quakers 
wrote  volumes  of  controversy  against  many  of  the 
prevailing  opinions  of  their  day ;  such  as  the  doctrine 
of  predestination,  and  of  salvation  depending  upon 
faith,  rather  than  upon  works.  All  the  customary 
external  observances,  such  as  holy  days,  baptism, 
and  the  Lord's  Supper,  they  considered  as  belonging 
to  a  less  spiritual  age,  and  that  the  time  had  come 
for  them  to  be  done  away.  Concerning  the  Trinity, 
there  appears  to  have  been  difference  of  opinion 
among  them  from  the  earliest  time.  When  George 
Fox  expressed  a  fear  that  William  Penn  had  gone 
too  far  in  defending  "the  true  unity  of  God,"  Penn 
replied  that  he  had  never  heard  any  one  speak  more 
plainly  concerning  the  manhood  of  Christ,  than 
George  Fox  himself.  Penn  was  imprisoned  in  the 
Tower  for  "rejecting  the  mystery  of  the  Trinity,"  in 
a  book  called  "The  Sandy  Foundation  Shaken." 
He  afterward  wrote  "Innocency  with  her  Open  * 
Face,"  regarded  by  some  as  a  compromise,  which 
procured  his  release.  But  though  various  popular 
doctrines  naturally  came  in  their  way,  and  chal- 
lenged discussion,  while  they  were  endeavoring  to 
introduce  a  new  order  of  things,  the  characteristic 
feature  of  their  movement  was  attention  to  practical 
righteousness  rather  than  theological  tenets.  They 
did  not  require  their  members  to  profess  faith  in  any 


278  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

creed.  They  had  but  one  single  bond  of  union ; 
and  that  was  the  belief  that  every  man  ought  to  be 
guided  in  his  actions,  and  in  the  interpretation  of 
Scripture,  by  the  light  within  his  own  soul.  Their 
history  shows  that  they  mainly  used  this  light  to 
guide  them  in  the  application  of  moral  principles. 
Upon  the  priesthood,  in  every  form,  they  made  un- 
sparing warfare ;  believing  that  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit 
ought  never  to  be  paid  with  money.  They  appointed 
committees  to  visit  the  sick,  the  afflicted,  and  the 
destitute,  and  to  superintend  marriages  and  funerals. 
The  farmer,  the  shoemaker,  the  physician,  or  the 
merchant,  followed  his  vocation  diligently,  and  when- 
ever the  Spirit  moved  him  to  exhort  his  brethren,  he 
did  so.  The  "First,  and  Fifth  Day"  of  the  week, 
called  by  other  denominations  Sunday  and  Thurs- 
day, were  set  apart  by  them  for  religious  meetings. 
Women  were  placed  on  an  equality  with  men,  by 
being  admitted  to  this  free  Gospel  ministry,  and  ap- 
pointed on  committees  with  men,  to  regulate  the 
affairs  of  the  Society.  They  abjured  war  under  all 
circumstances,  and  suffered  great  persecution  rather 
than  pay  military  taxes.  They  early  discouraged 
the  distillation  or  use  of  spirituous  liquors,  and  dis- 
owned any  of  their  members  who  distilled  them  from 
grain.  Protests  against  slavery  were  among  their 
most  earnest  testimonies,  and  it  was  early  made  a 
rule  of  discipline  that  no  member  of  the  Society 


LIFE    OP   ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

should  hold  slaves.  When  the  Quakers  first  arose, 
it  was  a  custom  in  England,  as  it  still  is  on  the  con- 
tinent of  Europe,  to  say  tliou  to  an  inferior,  or  equal, 
and  you  to  a  superior.  They  saw  in  this  custom  an 
infringement  of  the  great  law  of  human  brotherhood ; 
and  because  they  would  "call  no  man  master,"  they 
said  thou  to  every  person,  without  distinction  of 
rank.  To  the  conservatives  of  their  day,  this  spirit- 
ual democracy  seemed  like  deliberate  contempt  of 
authority ;  and  as  such,  deserving  of  severe  punish- 
ment. More  strenuously  than  all  other  things,  they 
denied  the  right  of  any  set  of  men  to  prescribe  a 
creed  for  others.  The  only  authority  they  recog- 
nized was  "the  light  within ;"  and  for  freedom  to 
follow  this,  they  were  always  ready  to  suffer  or  to 
die. 

On  all  these  subjects,  there  could  be  no  doubt 
that  Elias  Hicks  was  a  Quaker  of  the  old  genuine 
stamp.  But  he  differed  from  many  others  in  some 
of  his  theological  views.  He  considered  Christ  as 
"the  only  Son  of  the  most  high  God;"  but  he  de- 
nied that  "the  outward  person,"  which  suffered  on 
Calvary  was  properly  the  Son  of  God.  He  attached 
less  importance  to  miracles,  than  did  many  of  his 
brethren.  He  said  he  had  learned  more  of  his  own 
soul,  and  had  clearer  revelations  of  God  and  duty, 
while  following  his  plough,  than  from  all  the  books 
he  had  ever  read.  He  reverenced  the  Bible  as  a 


280  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

record  of  divine  power  and  goodness,  but  did  not 
consider  a  knowledge  of  it  essential  t<*  salvation ; 
for  he  supposed  that  a  Hindoo  or  an  African,  who 
never  heard  of  the  Scriptures,  or  of  Christ,  might 
become  truly  a  child  of  God,  if  he  humbly  and  sin- 
cerely followed  the  divine  light  within,  given  to 
every  human  soul,  according  to  the  measure  of  its 
faithfulness. 

Many  of  his  brethren,  whose  views  assimilated 
more  with  orthodox  opinions,  accused  him  of  having 
departed  from  the  principles  of  early  Friends.  But 
his  predecessors  had  been  guided  only  by  the  light 
within  ;  and  he  followed  the  same  guide,  without  de- 
ciding beforehand  precisely  how  far  it  might  lead 
him.  This  principle,  if  sincerely  adopted  and  con- 
sistently applied,  would  obviously  lead  to  large  and 
liberal  results,  sufficient  for  the  progressive  growth 
of  all  coming  ages.  It  was  so  generally  admitted  to 
be  the  one  definite  bond  of  union  among  early 
Friends,  that  the  right  of  Elias  Hicks  to  •  utter  his 
own  convictions,  whether  they  were  in  accordance 
with  others  or  not,  would  probably  never  have  been 
questioned,  if  some  influential  members  of  the  Socie- 
ty had  not  assumed  more  power  than  was  delegated 
to  them ;  thereby  constituting  themselves  a  kind  of 
ecclesiastical  tribunal.  It  is  the  nature  of  such  au- 
thority to  seek  enlargement  of  its  boundaries,  by  en- 
croaching more  and  more  on  individual  freedom. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 


The  friends  of  Elias  Hicks  did  not  adopt  his  views 
or  the  views  of  any  other  man  as  a  standard  of  opin- 
ion. On  the  subject  of  the  Trinity,  for  instance, 
there  were  various  shadings  of  opinion  among  them. 
The  probability  seems  to  be  that  the  influence  of 
Unitarian  sects,  and  of  Orthodox  sects  had,  in  the 
course  of  years,  gradually  glided  in  among  the  Qua- 
kers, and  more  or  less  fashioned  their  theological 
opinions,  though  themselves  were  unconscious  of  it ; 
as  we  all  are  of  the  surrounding  air  we  are  constant- 
ly inhaling. 

But  it  was  not  the  Unitarianism  of  Elias  Hicks 
that  his  adherents  fought  for,  or  considered  it  neces- 
sary to  adopt.  They  simply  contended  for  his  right 
to  express  his  own  convictions,  and  denied  the  autho- 
rity of  any  man,  or  body  of  men,  to  judge  his  preach- 
ing by  the  assumed  standard  of  any  creed.  There- 
fore, the  real  ground  of  the  struggle  seems  to  have 
been  resistance  to  ecclesiastical  power ;  though  theo- 
logical opinions  unavoidably  became  intertwisted 
with  it.  It  was  a  new  form  of  the  old  battle,  per- 
petually renewed  ever  since  the  world  began,  be- 
tween authority  and  individual  freedom. 
,  The  agitation,  which  had  for  some  time  been 
heaving  under  the  surface,  is  said  to  have  been 
brought  into  open  manifestation  by  a  sermon  which 
Elias  Hicks  preached  against  the  use  of  slave  pro- 
duce, in  1819.  A  bitter  warfare  followed.  Those 


282  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

who  refused  to  denounce  his  opinions  were  accused 
of  being  infidels  and  separatists ;  and  they  called 
their  accusers  bigoted  and  intolerant.  With  regard 
to  disputed  doctrines,  both  claimed  to  find  sufficient 
authority  in  the  writings  of  early  Friends  ;  and  each 
side  charged  the  other  with  mutilating  and  misrepre- 
senting those  writings.  As  usual  in  theological  con- 
troversies, the  'skein  became  more  and  more  entan- 
gled, till  there  was  no  way  left  but  to  cut  it  in  two. 
In  1827  and  1828,  a  separation  took  place  in  the 
Yearly  Meetings  of  Philadelphia,  New-York,  and 
several  other  places.  Thenceforth,  the  members 
were  divided  into  two  distinct  sects.  In  some  places 
the  friends  of  Elias  Hicks  were  far  the  more  nu- 
merous. In  others,  his  opponents  had  a  majority. 
Each  party  claimed  to  be  the  genuine  Society  of 
Friends,  and  denied  the  other's  right  to  retain  the 
title.  The  opponents  of  Elias  Hicks  called  them- 
selves "Orthodox  Friends,"  and  named  his  adherents 
"Hicksites."  The  latter  repudiated  the  title,  be- 
cause they  did  not  acknowledge  him  as  their  stan- 
dard of  belief,  though  they  loved  and  reverenced  his 
character,  and  stood  by  him  as  the  representative 
of  liberty  of  conscience.  They  called  themselves 
"Friends,"  and  the  others  "the  Orthodox." 

The  question  which  was  the  genuine  Society  of 
Friends  was  more  important  than  it  would  seem  to  a 
mere  looker  on  ;  for  large  pecuniary  interests  were 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  283 

involved  therein.  It  is  well  known  that  Quakers 
form  a  sort  of  commonwealth  by  themselves,  within 
the  civil  commonwealth  by  which  they  are  governed. 
They  pay  the  public  school-tax,  and  in  addition  build 
their  own  school-houses,  and  employ  teachers  of 
their  own  Society.  They  support  their  own  poor, 
while  they  pay  the  same  pauper  tax  as  other  citi 
zens.  They  have  burying  grounds  apart.from  others, 
because  they  have  conscientious  scruples  concerning 
monuments  and  epitaphs.  Of  course,  the  question 
which  of  the  two  contending  parties  was  the  true 
Society  of  Friends  involved  the  question  wrho  owned 
the  meeting-houses,  the  burying  grounds,  and  the 
school  funds.  The  friends  of  Elias  Hicks  offered  to 
divide  the  property,  according  to  the  relative  num- 
bers of  each  party  ;  but  those  called  Orthodox  refused 
to  accept  the  proposition.  Lawsuits  were  brought 
in  various  parts  of  the  country.  What  a  bitter  state 
of  animosity  existed  may  be  conjectured  from  the 
fact  that  the  "  Orthodox"  in  Philadelphia  refused  to 
allow  "  Hicksites"  to  bury  their  dead  in  the  ground 
belonging  to  the  undivided  Society  of  Friends.  On 
the  occasion  of  funerals,  they  refused  to  deliver  up 
the  key  ;  and  after  their  opponents  had  remonstrated 
in  vain,  they  forced  the  lock. 

I  believe  in  almost  every  instance,  where  the 
"Hicksites"  were  a  majority,  and  thus  had  a  claim 
to  the  larger  share  of  property,  they  offered  to  di- 


284  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    X.    HOPPER. 

vide  in  proportion  to  the  relative  numbers  of  the  two 
parties.  After  the  separation  in  New- York,  they  re- 
newed this  offer,  which  had  once  been  rejected  ;  and 
the  "  Orthodox"  finally  agreed  to  accept  a  stipulated 
sum  for  their  interest  in  the  property.  The  Friends 
called  "Hicksites"  numbered  in  the  whole  more  than 
seventy  thousand. 

Quakers  iij  England  generally  took  part  against 
Elias  Hicks  and  his  friends.  Some,  who  were  styled 
"  The  Evangelical  Party,"  went  much  beyond  their 
brethren  in  conformity  with  the  prevailing  denomi- 
nations of  Christians  called  Orthodox.  Many  of 
them  considered  a  knowledge  of  the  letter  of  Scrip- 
ture essential  to  salvation  ;  and  some  even  approved 
of  baptism  by  water ;  a  singular  departure  from  the 
total  abrogation  of  external  rites,  which  characterized 
Quakerism  from  the  beginning.  William  and  Mary 
Howitt,  the  well  known  and  highly  popular  English 
writers,  were  born  members  of  this  religious  Society. 
In  an  article  concerning  the  Hicksite  controversy, 
written  for  the  London  Christian  Advocate,  the  for- 
mer says :  "  My  opinion  is,  that  Friends  will  see 
cause  to  repent  the  excision  of  that  great  portion  of 
their  own  body,  on  the  plea  of  heretical  opinions. 
By  sanctioning  it,  they  are  bound,  if  they  act  im-1 
partially  and  consistently,  to  expel  others  also  for 
heterodox  opinions.  This  comes  of  violating  the  sa- 
cred liberty  of  conscience  ;  of  allowing  ourselves  to 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  285 

be  infected  with  the  leaven  of  a  blind  zeal,  instead 
of  the  broad  philanthropy  of  Christ.  Is  there  no 
better  alternative  ?  Yes.  To  adopt  the  principle  of 
William  Penn ;  to  allow  freedom  of  opinion  ;  and 
while  we  permit  the  Evangelical  party  to  hold  their 
favorite  notions,  so  long  as  they  consent  to  conform 
to  our  system  of  public  worship,  to  confess  that  we 
have  acted  harshly  to  the  Hicksites,  and  open  our 
arms  to  all  who  are  sincere  in  their  faith,  and  orderly 
in  their  conduct."  • 

As  the  adherents  of  Elias  Hicks  at  that  time 
represented  freedom  of  conscience,  of  course  Isaac 
T.  Hopper  belonged  to  that  party,  and  advocated  it 
with  characteristic  zeal.  In  fact,  he  seems  to  have 
been  the  Napoleon  of  the  battle.  It  was  not  in  his 
nature  intentionally  to  misrepresent  any  man ;  and 
even  when  the  controversy  was  raging  most  furious- 
ly, I  believe  there  never  was  a  time  when  he  would 
not  willingly  have  acknowledged  a  mistake  the  mo- 
ment he  perceived  it.  But  his  temperament  was 
such,  that  wherever  he  deemed  a  principle  of  truth, 
justice,  or  freedom  was  at  stake,  he  could  never  quit 
an  adversary  till  he  had  demolished  him  completely, 
and  convinced  him  that  he  wras  demolished  ;  though 
he  often  felt  great  personal  kindness  toward  the  indi- 
vidual thus  prostrated,  and  was  always  willing  to 
render  him  any  friendly  service.  He  used  to  say 
that  his  resistance  in  this  controversy  was  principally 


286  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

roused  by  the  disposition  which  he  saw  manifested 
"to  crush  worthy,  innocent  Friends,  for  mere  differ- 
ence of  opinion ;"  and  no  one,  who  knew  him  well, 
could  doubt  that  on  this  subject,  as  on  others,  he  was 
impelled  by  a  sincere  love  of  truth  and  justice.  But 
neither  he  nor  any  other  person  ever  entered  the 
lists  of  theological  controversy  without  paying  dearly 
for  the  encounter.  Perpetual  strife  grieved  and  dis- 
turbed his  own  spirit,  while  his  energy,  perseverance, 
and  bluntness  of  speech,  gained  him  many  enemies. 
Wherever  this  unfortunate  sectarian  schism  was  in- 
troduced, it  divided  families,  and  burst  asunder  the 
bonds  of  friendship.  For  a  long  time,  they  seemed 
to  be  a  Society  of  Enemies,  instead  of  a  Society  of 
Friends.  In  this  respect,  no  one  suffered  more  acute- 
ly than  Isaac  T.  Hopper.  It  was  his  nature  to  form 
very  strong  friendships ;  and  at  this  painful  junc- 
ture, many  whom  he  had  long  loved  and  trusted, 
parted  from  him.  Among  them  was  his  cousin  Jo- 
seph Whitall,  who  had  embraced  Quakerism  at  the 
same  period  of  life,  who  had  been  the  friend  of  his 
boyhood,  and  the  cherished  companion  of  later  years. 
They  had  no  personal  altercation,  but  their  intimacy 
gradually  cooled  off,  and  they  became  as  strangers. 

He  had  encountered  other  difficulties  also,  at  a 
former  period  of  his  life,  the  shadows  of  which  still 
lay  across  his  path.  About  twelve  or  fifteen  years 
after  his  marriage,  his  health  began  to  fail.  His 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  287 

vigorous  frame  pined  away  to  a  mere  shadow,  and 
he  was  supposed  to  be  in  a  consumption.  At  the 
same  time,  he  found  himself  involved  in  pecuniary 
difficulties,  the  burden  of  which  weighed  very  heavi- 
ly upon  him,  for  many  reasons.  His  strong  sense  of 
iustice  made  it  painful  for  him  to  owe  debts  he  could 
not  pay.  He  had  an  exceeding  love  of  imparting  to 
others,  and  these  pecuniary  impediments  tied  down 
his  large  soul  with  a  thousand  lilliputian  cords.  He 
had  an  honest  pride  of  independence,  which  chafed 
under  any  obligation  that  could  be  avoided.  His 
strong  attachment  to  the  Society  of  Friends  rendered 
him  sensitive  to  their  opinion ;  and  at  that  period 
their  rules  were  exceedingly  strict  concerning  any  of 
their  members,  who  contracted  debts  they  were  una- 
ble to  pay.  People  are  always  ready  to  censure  a 
man  wrho  is  unprosperous  in  worldly  affairs ;  and  if 
his  character  is  such  as  to  render  him  prominent,  he 
is  all  the  more  likely  to  be  handled  harshly.  Of 
these  trials  Friend  Hopper  had  a  large  share,  and 
they  disturbed  him  exceedingly ;  but  the  conscious- 
ness of  upright  intentions  kept  him  from  sinking  un- 
der the  weight  that  pressed  upon  him. 

He  was  always  a  very  industrious  man,  and  what- 
ever he  did  was  well  done.  But  the  fact  was,  the 
claims  upon  his  time  and  attention  were  too  numer- 
ous to  be  met  by  any  one  mortal  man.  He  had  a 
large  family  to  support,  and  during  many  years  his 


288  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

house  was  a  home  for  poor  Quakers,  and  others, 
from  far  and  near.  He  had  much  business  to  trans- 
act in  the  Society  of  Friends,  of  which  he  was  then 
an  influential  and  highly  respected  member.  He 
was  one  of  the  founders  and  secretary  of  a  society 
for  the  employment  of  the  poor ;  overseer  of  the 
Benezet  school  for  colored  children ;  teacher,  with- 
out recompense,  in  a  free  school  for  colored  adults  ; 
inspector  of  the  prison,  without  a  salary ;  member 
of  a  fire-company ;  guardian  of  abused  apprentices  ; 
the  lawyer  and  protector  of  slaves  and  colored  peo- 
ple, upon  all  occasions.  When  pestilence  was  rag- 
ing, he  was  devoted  to  the  sick.  The  poor  were 
continually  calling  upon  him  to  plead  with  importu- 
nate landlords  and  creditors.  He  was  not  unfre- 
quently  employed  to  settle  estates  involved  in  diffi- 
culties, which  others  were  afraid  to  undertake.  He 
had  occasional  applications  to  exert  influence  over 
the  insane,  for  which  he  had  peculiar  tact.  When 
he  heard  of  a  man  beginning  to  form  habits  likely  to 
prove  injurious  to  himself  or  his  family,  he  would  go 
to  him,  whether  his  rank  were  high  or  low,  and  have 
private  conversations  with  him.  He  would  tell  him 
some  story,  or  suppose  some  case,  and  finally  make 
him  feel,  "Thou  art  the  man."  He  had  a  great  gift 
in  that  way,  and  the  exertion  of  it  sometimes  sea- 
sonably recalled  those  who  were  sliding  into  danger 
ous  paths. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  289 

When  one  reflects  upon  the  time  that  must  have- 
been  bestowed  on  all  these  avocations,  do  his  pecu- 
niary embarrassments  require  any  further  explana- 
tion ?  A  member  of  his  own  Society  summed  up 
the  case  very  justly  in  few  words.  Hearing  him 
censured  by  certain  individuals,  she  replied,  "The 
whole  amount  of  it  is  this : — the  Bible  requires  us 
to  love  our  neighbor  as  well  as  ourselves  ;  and  Friend 
Isaac  has  loved  them  better." 

These  straitened  circumstances  continued  during 
the  remainder  of  his  residence  in  Philadelphia ;  and 
his  family  stood  by  him  nobly  through  the  trial. 
Household  expenses  were  reduced  within  the  small- 
est possible  limits.  His  wife  opened  a  tea-store,  as 
an  available  means  of  increasing  their  income.  The 
simple  dignity  of  her  manners,  and  her  pleasing  way 
of  talking,  attracted  many  ladies,  even  among  the 
fashionable,  who  liked  to  chat  with  the  handsome 
Quaker  matron,  while  they  were  purchasing  house- 
hold stores.  The  elder  daughters  taught  school,  and 
took  upon  themselves  double  duty  in  the  charge  of  a 
large  family  of  younger  children.  How  much  they 
loved  and  honored  their  father,  was  indicated  by  their 
zealous  efforts  to  assist  and  sustain  him.  I  have 
neard  him  tell,  with  much  emotion,  how  one  of  them 
slipped  some  of  her  earnings  into  his  pocket,  while 
he  slept  in  his  arm-chair.  She  was  anxious  to  save 

him  from  the  pain  of  being  unable  to  meet  necessary 
13 


290  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

expenses,  and  at  the  same  time  to  keep  him  ignorant 
of  the  source  whence  relief  came. 

His  spirit  of  independence  never  bent  under  the 
pressure  of  misfortune.  He  was  willing  to  deprive 
himself  of  everything,  except  the  simplest  necessaries 
of  life  ;  but  he  struggled  manfully  against  incurring 
obligations.  There  wras  a  Quaker  fund  for  the  gra- 
tuitous education  of  children ;  but  when  he  was 
urged  to  avail  himself  of  it,  he  declined,  because 
he  thought  such  funds  ought  to  be  reserved  for 
those  whqse  necessities  were  greater  than  his  own. 

The  government  added  its  exactions  to  other  pe- 
cuniary annoyances  ;  but  it  had  no  power  to  warp 
the  inflexibility  of  his  principles.  He  had  always 
refused  to  pay  the  militia  tax,  because,  in  common 
with  all  conscientious  Quakers,  he  considered  it 
wrong  to  do  anything  for  the  support  of  war.  It 
seems  no  more  than  just  that  a  sect,  who  pay  a 
double  school-tax,  and  a  double  pauper-tax,  and  who 
almost  never  occasion  the  state  any  expense  by  their 
crimes,  should  be  excused  for  believing  themselves 
bound  to  obey  the  injunction  of  Jesus,  to  return  good 
for  evil ;  but  politicians  have  decided  that  practical 
Christianity  is  not  always  consistent  with  the  duty 
of  citizens.  Accordingly,  when  Friend  Hopper  re- 
fused to  pay  for  guns  and  swords,  to  shoot  and  stab 
his  fellow  men,  they  seized  his  goods  to  pay  the  tax. 
The  articles  chosen  were  often  of  much  greater  value 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  291 

than  their  demand,  and  were  sacrificed  by  a  hurried 
and  careless  sale.  His  wife  had  received  a  handsome 
outfit  from  her  father,  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  ; 
but  she  was  destined  to  see  one  article  of  furniture 
after  another  seized  to  pay  the  military  fines,  which 
were  alike  abhorrent  to  her  heart  and  her  conscience. 
Among  these  articles,  was  a  looking  glass,  of  an 
unusually  large  and  clear  plate,  which  was  valuable 
as  property,  and  dear  to  her  as  a  bridal  gift  from  her 
parents.  She  could  not  see  it  carried  off  by  the 
officer,  to  meet  the  expenses  of  military  reviews, 
without  a  sigh — perhaps  a  tear.  But  she  was  not 
a  woman  ever  to  imply  a  wish  to  have  her  husband 
compromise  his  principles. 

Thus  bearing  up  bravely  against  the  pelting  storms 
of  life,  he  went  on,  hand  in  hand  with  his  beloved 
Sarah.  But  at  last,  he  was  called  to  part  with  the 
steady  friend  and  pleasant  companion  of  his  brightest 
and  his  darkest  hours.  She  passed  from  him  into 
the  spiritual  world  on  the  eighteenth  of  the  Sixth 
Month,  (June,)  1822,  in  the  forty-seventh  year  of  her 
age.  She  suffered  much  from  the  wasting  pains  of 
severe  dyspepsia ;  but  religious  hope  and  faith  ena- 
bled her  to  endure  all  her  trials  with  resignation,  and 
to  view  the  approach  of  death  with  cheerful  serenity 
of  soul.  Toward  the  close  of  her  life,  the  freshness 
of  her  complexion  was  injured  by  continual  suffer- 
ing; but  though  pale,  she  remained  a  handsome 


292  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

woman  to  the  last.  During  her  long  illness,  she  re- 
ceived innumerable  marks  of  respect  and  affection 
from  friends  and  neighbors  ;  for  she  was  beloved  by 
all  who  knew  her.  A  short  time  before  her  death, 
she  offered  the  following  prayer  for  the  dear  ones  she 
was  so  soon  to  leave;  "O  Lord,  permit  me  to  ask 
thy  blessing  for  this  family.  Thy  favor  is  better 
than  all  the  world  can  give.  For  want  of  keeping 
close  to  thy  counsel,  my  soul  has  often  been  pierced 
with  sorrow.  Pity  my  weakness.  Look  thou  from 
heaven,  and  forgive.  Enable  me,  I  beseech  thee,  to 
renew  my  covenant,  and  so  to  live  under  the  in- 
fluence of  thy  Holy  Spirit,  as  to  keep  it.  Preserve 
me  in  the  hour  of  temptation.  Thou  alone  knowest 
how  prone  I  am  to  err  on  the  right  side  and  on  the 
left.  Bless  the  children  !  O  Lord,  visit  and  re-visit 
their  tender  minds.  Lead  them  in  the  paths  of  up- 
rightness, for  thy  name's  sake.  I  ask  not  riches  nor 
honor  for  them ;  but  an  inheritance  in  thy  ever- 
blessed  truth."  She  left  nine  children,  the  youngest 
but  six  years  old,  to  mourn  the  loss  of  a  most  tender 
careful  and  self-sacrificing  mother. 

While  her  bereaved  husband  was  still  under  the 
shadow  of  this  great  grief,  he  was  called  to  part  with 
his  son  Isaac,  who  in  little  more  than  a  year,  fol- 
lowed his  mother,  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen.  He 
was  a  sedate  gentle  lad,  and  had  always  been  a  very 
pleasant  child  to  his  parents.  His  father  cherished 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  293 

his  memory  with  great  tenderness,  and  seldom  spoke 
of  him  without  expressing  his  conviction  that  if  he 
had  lived  he  would  have  become  a  highly  acceptable 
minister  in  the  Society  of  Friends  ;  a  destiny  which 
would  have  been  more  agreeable  to  his  parental 
feelings,  than  having  a  son  President  of  the  United 
States. 

Soon  after  this  melancholy  event,  Friend  Hopper 
went  to  Maryland,  to  visit  two  sisters  who  resided 
there.  He  was  accompanied  in  this  journey  by  his 
wife's  brother,  David  Tatum.  At  an  inn  where  they 
stopped  for  refreshment,  the  following  characteristic 
incident  occurred  :  A  colored  girl  brought  in  a  pitcher 
of  water.  "Art  thou  a  slave  ?"  said  Friend  Hopper. 
When  she  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  started  up 
and  exclaimed,  "It  is  against  my  principles  to  be 
waited  upon  by  a  slave."  His  more  timid  brother- 
in-law  inquired,  in  a  low  tone  of  voice,  whether  he 
were  aware  that  the  mistress  was  within  hearing. 
<-To  be  sure  I  am,"  answered  Isaac  aloud.  "What 
would  be  the  use  of  saying  it,  if  she  were  not  within 
hearing  ?"  He  then  emptied  the  pitcher  of  water,  and 
went  out  to  the  well  to  re-fill  it  for  himself.  Seeing 
the  landlady  stare  at  these  proceedings,  he  explained 
to  her  that  he  thought  it  wrong  to  avail  himself  of 
unpaid  labor.  In  reply,  she  complained  of  the  in- 
gratitude of  slaves,  and  the  hard  condition  of  their 
masters.  "It  is  very  inconvenient  to  live  so  near  a 


294  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

free  state,"  said  she.  "I  bad  sixteen  slaves;  but 
ten  of  them  have  run  away,  and  I  expect  the  rest 
will  soon  go." 

"I  hope  they  will,"  said  Isaac.  "I  am  sure  I 
would  run  away,  if  I  were  a  slave." 

At  first,  she  was  disposed  to  be  offended ;  but  he 
reasoned  the  matter  with  her,  in  a  quiet  and  friendly 
manner,  and  they  parted  on  very  civil  terms.  David 
Tatum  often  used  to  tell  this  anecdote,  after  they 
returned  home;  and  he  generally  added,  "I  never 
again  will  travel  in  a  Southern  state  with  brother 
Isaac  ;  for  I  am  sure  it  would  be  at  the  risk  of  my 
life." 

Time  soothes  all  afflictions ;  and  those  who  have 
dearly  loved  their  first  companion  are  sometimes 
more  likely  than  others  to  form  a  second  connexion ; 
for  the  simple  reason  that  they  cannot  learn  to  do 
without  the  happiness  to  which  they  have  been  ac- 
customed. There  was  an  intimate  friend  of  the  fami- 
ly, a  member  of  the  same  religious  Society,  named 
Hannah  Attmore.  She  was  a  gentle  and  quiet  per- 
son, of  an  innocent  and  very  pleasing  countenance. 
Her  father,  a  worthy  and  tender  spirited  man,  had 
been  an  intimate  friend  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  and  al- 
ways sympathized  with  his  efforts  for  the  oppressed. 
A  strong  attachment  had  likewise  existed  between 
her  and  Friend  Hopper's  wife ;  and  during  her  fre- 
quent visits  to  the  house,  it  was  her  pleasure  to  vol- 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  295 

unteer  assistance  in  the  numerous  household  cares. 
The  fact  that  his  Sarah  had  great  esteem  for  her,  was 
doubtless  a  strong  attraction  to  the  widower.  His 
suit  was  favorably  received,  and  they  were  married 
on  the  fourth  of  the  second  month,  (February)  1824. 
She  was  considerably  younger  than  her  bridegroom  ; 
but  vigorous  health  and  elastic  spirits  had  preserved 
his  youthful  appearance,  while  her  sober  dress  and 
grave  deportment,  made  her  seem  older  than  she 
really  was.  She  became  the  mother  of  four  children, 
two  of  whom  died  in  early  childhood.  Little  Tho 
mas,  who  ended  his  brief  career  in  three  years  and  a 
half,  was  always  remembered  by  his  parents,  and 
other  members  of  the  family,  as  a  remarkably  bright, 
precocious  child,  beautiful  as  an  infant  angel. 

It  has  been  already  stated  that  the  schism  in  the 
Society  of  Friends  introduced  much  controversy  con- 
cerning the  theological  opinions  of  its  founders. 
There  was  consequently  an  increased  demand  for 
their  writings,  and  the  branch  called  "Hicksites" 
felt  the  need  of  a  bookstore.  Friend  Hopper's  busi- 
ness had  never  been  congenial  to  his  character, 
and  of  late  years  it  had  become  less  profitable. 
A  large  number  of  his  wealthiest  customers  were 
"  Orthodox ;"  and  when  he  took  part  with  Elias 
Hicks,  they  ceased  to  patronize  him.  He  was  per- 
fectly aware  that  such  would  be  the  result ;  but 
whenever  it  was  necessary  to  choose  between  his 


296  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

principles  and  prosperity,  he  invariably  followed  what 
he  believed  to  be  the  truth.  He  was  considered  a 
suitable  person  to  superintend  the  proposed  book- 
store, and  as  the  state  of  his  financial  affairs  render- 
ed a  change  desirable,  he  concluded  to  accede  to  the 
proposition  of  his  friends.  For  that  purpose,  he  re- 
moved to  the  city  of  New- York  in  1829. 

In  the  autumn  of  the  following  year,  some  disput- 
ed claims,  which  his  wife  had  on  the  estate  of  her 
maternal  grandfather  in  Ireland,  made  it  necessary 
for  him  to  visit  that  country.  Experience  had  pain- 
fully convinced  him  that  theological  controversy 
sometimes  leads  to  personal  animosity  ;  and  that  few 
people  were  so  open  and  direct  in  their  mode  of  ex- 
pressing hostility,  as  he  himself  was.  Therefore, 
before  going  abroad,  he  took  the  precaution  to  ask 
letters  from  citizens  of  various  classes  and  sects  in 
Philadelphia ;  and  he  found  no  difficulty  in  obtaining 
them  from  the  most  respectable  and  distinguished. 
Matthew  Carey,  the  well  known  philanthropist 
wrote  as  follows :  "As  you  are  about  to  visit  my 
native  country,  and  have  applied  to  me  for  a  testi- 
monial concerning  your  character,  I  cheerfully  com- 
ply with  your  request.  I  have  been  well  acquainted 
with  you  for  about  thirty-five  years,  and  I  can  testify 
that,  during  the  whole  of  that  time,  you  have  been  a 
perfect  pest  to  our  Southern  neighbors.  A  Southern 
gentleman  could  scarcely  visit  this  city,  without 


LIFE    OF  ISAAC   T.    HOPPER.  297 

having  his  slave  taken  from  him  by  your  instrumen- 
tality ;  so  that  they  dread  you,  as  they  do  the  devil." 
After  enjoying  a  mutual  laugh  over  this  epistle,  an- 
other was  written  for  the  public,  certifying  that  he 
had  known  Isaac  T.  Hopper  for  many  years  as  "a 
useful  and  respectable  citizen  of  the  fairest  charac- 
ter." 

When  Friend  Hopper  arrived  in  Ireland,  he  found 
many  of  the  Quakers  prejudiced  against  him,  and 
many  untrue  stories  in  circulation,  as  he  had  expect- 
ed. Sometimes,  when  he  visited  public  places,  he 
would  overhear  people  saying  to  each  other,  in  a  low 
voice,  "That's  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  who  has  given 
Friends  so  much  trouble  in  America."  A  private 
letter  from  an  "  Orthodox"-  Quaker,  in  Philadelphia 
was  copied  and  circulated  in  all  directions,  greatly  to 
his  disadvantage.  It  represented  him  as  a  man  of 
sanctified  appearance,  but  wholly  unworthy  of  cre- 
dit ;  that  business  of  a  pecuniary  nature  was  a  mere 
pretence  to  cover  artful  designs  ;  his  real  object  be- 
ing to  spread  heretical  doctrines  in  Ireland,  and  thus 
sow  dissension  among  Friends.  In  his  journal  of 
this  visit  to  a  foreign  land,  Friend  Hopper  says  :  "It 
is  astonishing  what  strange  ideas  some  of  them  have 
concerning  me.  They  have  been  informed  that  I 
can  find  stolen  goods,  and  am  often  applied  to  on 
such  occasions.  I  think  it  would  be  no  hard  matter 

to  make  them  believe  me  a  wizard."     This  was  pro- 
13* 


298  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

bably  a  serious  version  of  his  pleasantry  with  the 
Dutchman  about  finding  his  goods  by  calculating  the 
age  of  the  moon. 

Many  of  the  Irish  Friends  had  formed  from  hear- 
say the  most  extravagant  misconceptions  concerning 
the   Friends    called    "Hicksites."     They   supposed 
them  to  be  outright  infidels,  and  that  the  grossest 
immoralities  were  tolerated  among  them  ;  that  they 
pointed  loaded  pistols  at  the  "  Orthodox"  brethren, 
and  drove  them  out  of  their  own  meeting-houses  by 
main  force.     One  of  them  expressed  great  surprise 
when  Friend  Hopper  informed  him  that  they  were  in 
the  constant  habit  of  reading  the  Scriptures  in  their 
families,  and  maintained  among  themselves  the  same 
discipline  that  had  always  been  used  in  the  Society. 
Sometimes  when   he  attended  Quaker  meetings  du- 
ring the   early  portion   of  his   visit,   the   ministers 
preached  at  him,  by  cautioning  young  people  to  be- 
ware of  the  adversary,  who  was  now  going  about 
like  a  cunning  serpent,  in  which  form  he  was  far 
more  dangerous,  than  when  he  assumed  the  appear- 
ance of  a  roaring  lion.     But  after  a  while,  this  ten- 
dency was  rebuked  by  other  preachers,  who  inculcat- 
ed forbearance  in  judging   others ;  reminding   their 
hearers  that  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel  always  breathed 
peace  and  good  will  toward  men.     As  for  Isaac  him- 
self, he  behaved  with  characteristic  openness.    When 
a  stranger,  in  Quaker  costume,  introduced  himself, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  299 

and  invited  him  to  go  home  and  dine  with  him,  he 
replied,  "  I  am  represented  by  some  people  as  a  very 
bad  man  ;  and  I  do  not  wish  to  impose  myself  upon 
the  hospitality  of  strangers,  without  letting  them 
know  who  I  am." 

»j  The  stranger  assured  him  that  he  knew  very  well 
who  he  was,  and  cared  not  a  straw  what  opinions 
they  accused  him  of;  that  he  was  going  to  have  a 
company  of  Friends  at  dinner,  who  wished  to  con- 
verse with  him.  He  went  accordingly,  and  was  re- 
ceived with  true  Irish  hospitality  and  kindness. 

Upon  another  occasion,  a  Quaker  lady,  who  did 
not  know  he  was  a"Hicksite,"  observed  to  him,  "I 
suppose  the  Society  of  Friends  are  very  much  thin- 
ned in  America,  since  so  many  have  gone  off  from 
them."  He  replied,  "It  is  always  best  to  be  can- 
did. I  belong  to  the  party  called  Hicksites,  deists, 
and  schismatics  ;  and  I  suppose  they  are  the  ones  to 
whom  thou  hast  alluded  as  having  gone  off  from  the 
Society.  I  should  like  to  talk  with  thee  concerning 
the  separation  in  America ;  for  we  have  been  greatly 
misrepresented.  But  I  came  to  this  country  solely 
on  business,  and  I  have  no  wish  to  say  or  do  any- 
thing'that  can  unsettle  the  mind,  or  wound  the  feel- 
ings of  any  Friend.  She  seemed  very  much  surpris- 
ed, and  for  a  minute  or  two  covered  her  face  with 
her  hands.  But  when  the  company  broke  up,  some 
hours  after,  she  followed  him  into  the  entry,  and  cor- 


300  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

dially  invited  him  to  visit  her.  "  What !  canst  thou 
tolerate  the  company  of  a  heretic  ?"  he  exclaimed. 
She  replied  with  a  smile,  "Yes,  such  a  one  as  thou 
art." 

In  fact,  wherever  he  had  a  chance  to  make  him- 
self known,  prejudices  melted  away  under  the  influ- 
ence of  his  frank  and  kindly  manners.  Some  people 
of  other  sects,  as  well  of  his  own,  took  an  interest  in 
him  for  the  very  reasons  that  caused  distrust  and 
dislike  in  others ;  viz :  because  they  had  heard  of 
him  as  the  champion  of  perfect  liberty  of  conscience, 
who  considered  it  unnecessary  to  bind  men  by  any 
creed  whatsoever.  Among  these,  he  mentions  in  his 
journal,  Professor  Stokes  of  Dublin,  who  relinquish- 
ed a  salary  of  two  thousand  eight  hundred  pounds  a 
year,  because  he  could  not  conscientiously  subscribe 
to  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  It  was  proposed  to 
dismiss  him  from  the  college  altogether ;  but  he  de- 
manded a  hearing  before  the  trustees  and  students. 
This  privilege  could  not  be  denied,  without  infring- 
ing the  laws  of  the  institution ;  and  deeming  that 
such  a  discussion  might  prove  injurious,  they  con- 
cluded to  retain  him,  on  a  salary  of  eight  hundred 
pounds.  Friend  Hopper  describes  him  thus  :  ' "  He 
is  an  intelligent  and  liberal-minded  man,  and  has  a 
faculty  of  exposing  the  errors  and  absurdities  of  the 
Athanasian  Creed  to  much  purpose.  He  was  of  a 
good  spirit,  and  I  was  much  gratified  with  his  com- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  301 

pany.  He  insisted  upon  accompanying  me  home  in 
the  evening,  and  though  I  remonstrated  against  it, 
on  account  of  his  advanced  age,  he  attended  me  to 
the  door  of  my  lodgings." 

During  this  visit  to  Ireland,  Friend  Hopper  was 
treated  with  great  hospitality  and  respect  by  many 
who  were  wealthy,  and  many  who  were  not  weal- 
thy ;  by  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  of 
various  other  religious  sects.  He  formed  a  high 
estimate  of  the  Irish  character,  and  to  the  day  of  his 
death,  always  spoke  with  warm  affection  of  the 
friends  he  found  there.  In  his  journal,  he  often 
alludes  with  pleasure  to  the  children  he  met  with,  in 
families  where  he  visited;  for  he  was  always  ex- 
tremely partial  to  the  young.  Speaking  of  a  visit  to 
a  gentleman  in  the  environs  of  Dublin,  by  the  name 
of  Wilson,  he  says:  "I  rose  early  in  the  morning, 
and  the  eldest  daughter,  about  ten  or  eleven  years 
old,  very  politely  invited  me  to  walk  with  her.  We 
rambled  about  in  the  pastures,  and  through  beautiful 
groves  of  oak,  beech  and  holly.  The  little  creature 
tried  her  very  best  to  amuse  me.  She  told  me  about 
the  birds  and  the  hares,  and  other  inhabitants  of  the 
woods.  She  inquired  whether  I  did  not  want  very 
much  to  see  my  wife  and  children  ;  and  exclaimed, 
"How  I  should  like  to  see  you  meet  them  !  It  would 
give  you  so  much  pleasure  ! "  He  speaks  of  a  little 
girl  in  another  family,  who  seemed  very  much  at- 


302  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

tracted  toward  him,  and  finally  whispered  to  her 
father,  "  I  want  to  go  and  speak  to  that  Friend."  She 
was  introduced  accordingly,  and  they  had  much 
pleasant  chat  together. 

In  one  of  the  families  where  he  visited,  they  told 
him  an  instructive  story  concerning  a  Quaker  who 
resided  in  Dublin,  by  the  name  of  Joseph  Torrey. 
One  day  when  he  was  passing  through  the  streets, 
he  saw  a  man  leading  a  horse,  which  was  evidently 
much  diseased.  His  compassionate  heart  was  pained 
by  the  sight,  and  he  asked  the  man  where  he  was 
going.  He  replied,  "The  horse  has  the  staggers, 
and  I  am  going  to  sell  him  to  the  carrion-butchers." 

"  Wilt  thou  sell  him  to  me  for  a  crown  ! "  inquired 
Joseph.  The  man  readily  assented,  and  the  poor 
animal  was  led  to  the  stable  of  his  new  friend,  where 
he  was  most  kindly  tended.  Suitable  remedies  and 
careful  treatment  soon  restored  him  to  health  and 
beauty.  One  day,  when  Friend  Torrey  was  riding 
him  in  Phoenix  Park,  a  gentleman  looked  very  ear- 
nestly at  the  horse,  and  at  last  inquired  whether  his 
owner  would  be  willing  to  sell  him.  "Perhaps  I 
would,"  replied  Joseph,  "if  I  could  get  a  very  good 
master  for  him." 

"He  so  strongly  resembles  a  favorite  horse  I  once 
had,  that  I  should  think  he  was  the  same,  if  I  didn't 
know  he  was  dead,"  rejoined  the  stranger. 

"  Did  he  die  in  thy  stable  ?"  inquired  Joseph. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER  303 

The  gentleman  replied,  "No.  He  had  the  Stag- 
gers very  badly,  and  I  sent  him  to  the  carrion-butch- 
ers." 

"I  should  be  sorry  to  sell  an  animal  to  any  man, 
who  would  send  him  to  the  carrion-butchers  because 
he  was  diseased,"  answered  Joseph'.  "  If  thou  wert 
ill,  how  wouldst  thou  like  to  have  thy  throat  cut,  in- 
stead of  being  kindly  nursed  ?" 

With  some  surprise,  the  gentleman  inquired  whe- 
ther he  intended  to  compare  him  to  a  horse.  "No," 
replied  Joseph;  "but  animals  have  feelings,  as  well 
as  human  beings  ;  and  when  they  are  afflicted  with 
disease,  they  ought  to  be  carefully  attended.  If  I 
consent  to  sell  thee  this  horse,  I  shall  exact  a  pro- 
mise that  thou  wilt  have  him  kindly  nursed  when  he 
is  sick,  and  not  send  him  to  have  his  throat  cut." 

The  gentleman  readily  promised  all  that  was  re- 
quired, and  said  he  should  consider  himself  very  for- 
tunate to  obtain  a  horse  that  so  much  resembled  his 
old  favorite.  When  he  called  the  next  day,  to  com- 
plete the  bargain,  he  inquired  whether  forty  guineas 
would  be  a  satisfactory  price.  The  conscientious 
Quaker  answered,  "I  have  good  reason  to  believe 
the  horse  was  once,  thine ;  and  I  am  willing  to  re- 
store him  to  thee  on  the  conditions  I  have  mentioned. 
I  have  saved  him  from  the  carrion-butchers,  but  I 
will  charge  thee  merely  what  I  have  expended  for 
his  food  and  medicine.  Let  it  be  a  lesson  to  thee  to 


304  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

treat  animals  kindly,  when  they  are  diseased.  Never 
again  send  to  the  butchers  a  faithful  servant,  that 
cannot  plead  for  himself,  and  may,  with  proper  at- 
tention, again  become  useful  to  thee." 

How  little  Friend  Hopper  was  inclined  to  minister 
to  aristocratic  prejudices,  may  be  inferred  from  the 
following  anecdote.  One  day,  while  he  was  visiting 
a  wealthy  family  in  Dublin,  a  note  was  handed  to 
him,  inviting  him  to  dine  the  next  day.  When  he 
read  it  aloud,  his  host  remarked,  "Those  people  are 
very  respectable,  but  not  of  the  first  circles.  They 
belong  to  our  church,  but  not  exactly  to  our  set. 
Their  father  was  a  mechanic." 

"Well  I  am  a  mechanic  myself,"  said  Isaac. 
"Perhaps  if  thou  hadst  known  that  fact,  thou 
wouldst  not  have  invited  me  /"' 

"  Is  it  possible,"  exclaimed  his  host,  "  that  a  man 
of  your  information  and  appearance  can  be  a  mecha- 
nic !" 

"I  followed  the  business  of  a  tailor  for  many 
years,"  rejoined  his  guest.  "Look  at  my  hands! 
Dost  thou  not  see  marks  of  the  shears  ?  Some  of 
the  mayors  of  Philadelphia  have  been  tailors.  When 
I  lived  there,  I  often  walked  the  streets  with  the 
Chief  Justice.  It  never  occurred  to  me  that  it  was 
any  honor,  and  I  don't  think  it  did  to  him." 

Upon  one  occasion,  Friend  Hopper  went  into  the 
Court  of  Chancery  in  Dublin,  and  kept  his  hat  on, 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  305 

according  to  Quaker  custom.  While  he  was  listen- 
ing to  the  pleading,  he  noticed  that  a  person  who  sat 
near  the  Chancellor  fixed  his  eyes  upon  him  with  a 
very  stern  expression.  This  attracted  the  attention 
of  lawyers  and  spectators,  who  also  began  to  look  at 
him.  Presently  an  officer  tapped  him  on  the  shoul- 
der, and  said,  "  Your  hat,  sir  !" 

"What's  the  matter  with  my  hat  ?"  he  inquired. 

"Take  it  off?"  rejoined  the  officer.  "You  are  in 
his  Majesty  Court  of  Chancery." 

"That  is  an  honor  I  reserve  for  his  Majesty's  Mas- 
ter," he  replied.  "Perhaps  it  is  my  shoes  thou 
meanest  ?" 

The  officer  seemed  embarrassed,  but  said  no 
more  ;  and  when  the  Friend  had  stayed  as  long  as  he 

felt  inclined,  he  quietly  withdrew. 

g 
One  day,  when  he  was  walking  with  a  lawyer  in 

Dublin,  they  passed  the  Lord  Lieutenant's  castle. 
He  expressed  a  wish  to  see  the  Council  Chamber, 
but  was  informed  that  it  was  not  open  to  strangers. 
"I  have  a  mind  to  go  and  try,"  said  he  to  his  com- 
panion. "Wilt  thou  go  with  me  ?" 

"No  indeed,"  he  replied;  "and  I  would  advise 
you  not  to  go." 

He  marched  in,  however,  with  his  broad  beaver 
on,  and  found  the  Lord  Lieutenant  surrounded  by  a 
number  of  gentleman.  "I  am  an  American,"  said 
he.  "I  have  heard  a  great  deal  about  the  Lord 


306  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Lieutenant's  castle,  and  if  it  will  give  no  offence,  I 
should  like  very  much  to  see  it." 

His  lordship  seemed  surprised  by  this  unceremoni- 
ous introduction,  but  he  smiled,  and  said  to  a  ser- 
vant, "  Show  this  American  whatever  he  wishes  to 
see." 

He  was  conducted  into  various  apartments,  where 
he  saw  pictures,  statues,  ancient  armor,  antique 
coins,  and  many  other  curious  articles.  At  parting, 
the  master  of  the  mansion  was  extremely  polite,  and 
gave  him  much  interesting  information  on  a  variety 
of  topics.  When  he  rejoined  his  companion,  who 
had  agreed  to  wait  for  him  at  some  appointed  place, 
he  was  met  with  the  inquiry,  "Well,  what  luck?" 

"  O,  the  best  luck  in  the  world,"  he  replied,  "  I 
was  treated  with  great  politeness." 

"Well  certainly,  Mr.  Hopper,  you  are  an  extraor- 
dinary man,"  responded  the  lawyer.  "I  wouldn't 
have  ventured  to  try  such  an  experiment." 

At  the  expiration  of  four  months,  having  complet- 
ed the  business  which  rendered  his  presence  in  Ire- 
land necessary,  he  made  a  short  visit  to  England,  on 
his  way  home.  There  also  his  hat  was  objected  to 
on  several  occasions.  While  in  Bristol,  he  asked 
permission  to  look  at  the  interior  of  the  Cathedral. 
He  had  been  walking  about  some  little  time,  when  a 
rough-looking  man  said  to  him,  in  a  very  surly  tone, 
"Take  off  your  hat,  sir!" 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  307 

He  replied  very  courteously,  "I  have  asked  per- 
mission to  enter  here  to  gratify  my  curiosity  as  a 
stranger.  I  hope  it  is  no  offence." 

"  Take  off  your  hat !"  rejoined  the  rude  man.  "If 
you  don't,  I'll  take  it  off  for  you." 

Friend  Hopper  leaned  on  his  cane,  looked  him  full 
in  the  face,  and  answered  very  coolly,  "  If  thou  dost, 
I  hope  thou  wilt  send  it  to  my  lodgings  ;  for  I  shall 
have  need  of  it  this  afternoon.  I  lodge  at  No.  35, 
Lower  Crescent,  Clifton."  The  place  designated 
was  about  a  mile  from  the  Cathedral.  The  man 
stared  at  him,  as  if  puzzled  to  decide  whether  he 
were  talking  to  an  insane  person,  or  not.  When  the 
imperturbable  Quaker  had  seen  all  he  cared  to  see,  he 
deliberately  walked  away. 

At  Westminster  Abbey  he  paid  the  customary  fee 
of  two  shillings  sixpence  for  admission.  The  door- 
keeper followed  him,  saying,  "You  must  uncover 
yourself,  sir." 

"Uncover  myself!"  exclaimed  the  Friend,  with 
an  affectation  of  ignorant  simplicity.  "What  dost 
thou  mean  ?  Must  I  take  off  my  coat  ?" 

"Your  coat !"  responded  the  man,  smiling.  "No 
indeed.  I  mean  your  hat." 

"And  what  should  I  take  off  my  hat  for?"  he^in- 
quired. 

"  Because  you  are  in  a  church,  sir,"  answered  the 
door-keeper. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

"I  see  no  church  here,"  rejoined  the  Quaker. 
"Perhaps  thou  meanest  the  house  where  the  church 
assembles.  I  suppose  thou  art  aware  that  it  is  the 
people,  not  the  building,  that  constitutes  a  church  ?" 

The  idea  seemed  new  to  the  man,  but  he  merely 
repeated,  "You  must  take  off  your  hat,  sir." 

But  the  Friend  again  inquired,  "What  for?  On 
account  of  these  images  ?  Thou  knowest  Scripture 
commands  us  not  to  worship  graven  images." 

The  man  persisted  in  saying  that  no  person  could 
be  permitted  to  pass  through  the  church  without  un- 
covering his  head.  "  Well  friend,"  rejoined  Isaac, 
"  I  have  some  conscientious  scruples  on  that  subject ; 
so  give  me  back  my  money,  and  I  will  go  out." 

The  reverential  habits  of  the  door-keeper  were 
not  quite  strong  enough  to  compel  him  to  that  sacri- 
fice ;  and  he  walked  away,  without  saying  anything 
more  on  the  subject. 

When  Friend  Hopper  visited  the  House  of  Lords, 
he  asked  the  sergeant-at-arms  if  he  might  sit  upon 
the  throne.  He  replied,  "No,  sir.  No  one  but  his 
majesty  sits  there." 

"Wherein  does  his  majesty  differ  from  other 
men?"  inquired  he.  "If  his  head  were  cut  off, 
wouldn't  he  die  ?" 

Certainly  he  would,"  replied  the  officer. 

"Sowrould  an  American,"  rejoined  Friend  Hop- 
per. As  he  spoke,  he  stepped  up  to  the  gilded  rail- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

ing  that  surrounded  the  throne,  and  tried  to  open 
the  gate.  The  officer  told  him  it  was  locked. 
"Well  won't  the  same  key  that  locked  it  unlock  it  ?" 
inquired  he.  "Is  this  the  key  hanging  here  ?" 

Being  informed  that  it  was,  he  took  it  down  and 
unlocked  the  gate.  He  removed  the  satin  covering 
from  the  throne,  carefully  dusted  the  railing  with  his 
handkerchief,  before  he  hung  the  satin  over  it,  and 
then  seated  himself  in  the  royal  chair.  "Well," 
said  he,  "do  I  look  anything  like  his  majesty  ?" 

The  man  seemed  embarrassed,  but  smiled  as  he 
answered,  "Why,  sir,  you  certainly  fill  the  throne 
very  respectably." 

There  were  several  noblemen  in  the  room,  who 
seemed  to  be  extremely  amused  by  these  unusual 
proceedings. 

At  a  place  called  Jordans,  about  twenty-two  miles 
from  London,  he  visited  the  grave  of  William  Penn. 

In  his  journal,  he  says  :  "The  ground  is  surround- 
ed by  a  neat  hedge,  and  is  kept  in  good  order.  I 
picked  some  grass  and  moss  from  the  graves  of  Wil- 
liam Penn,  Thomas  Ellwood,  and  Isaac  Pennington  ; 
and  some  ivy  and  holly  from  the  hedge  ;  which  I  in- 
tend to  take  with  me  to  America,  as  a  memorial  of 
my  visit.  I  entered  the  meeting-house,  and  sat  on 
the  benches  which  had  been  occupied  by  George 
Fox,  William  Penn,  and  George  Whitehead,  in  years 
long  since  passed  away.  It  brought  those  old 


310  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Friends  so  distinctly  before  the  view  of  my  mind, 
that  my  heart  was  ready  to  exclaim,  'Surely  this  is 
no  other  than  the  house  of  God,  and  this  is  the  gate 
of  heaven.'  I  cannot  describe  my  feelings.  The 
manly  and  majestic  features  of  George  Fox,  and  the 
mournful  yet  benevolent  countenance  of  Isaac  Pen- 
nington,  seemed  to  rise  before  me.  But  this  is  hu- 
man weakness.  Those  men  bore  the  burthen  and 
heat  of  their  own  day ;  they  faithfully  used  the 
talents  committed  to  their  trust ;  and  I  doubt  not  they 
are  now  reaping  the  reward  given  to  faithful  ser- 
vants. It  is  permitted  us  to  love  their  memories, 
but  not  to  idolize  them.  They  could  deliver  neither 
son  or  daughter  by  their  righteousness ;  but  only 
their  own  souls." 

"  In  the  great  city  of  London  everything  tended 
to  satisfy  me  that  the  state  of  our  religious  Society 
is  generally  very  low.  A  light  was  once  kindled 
there,  that  illuminated  distant  lands.  As  I  walked 
the  streets,  I  remembered  the  labors,  the  sufferings, 
and  the  final  triumph  of  those  illustrious  sons  of  the 
morning,  George  Fox,  George  Whitehead,  William 
Penn,  and  a  host  of  others  ;  men  who  loved  not  their 
lives  in  comparison  with  the  holy  cause  of  truth  and 
righteousness,  in  which  they  were  called  to  labor. 
These  worthies  have  been  succeeded  by  a  genera- 
tion, who  seem  disposed  to  garnish  the  sepulchres  of 
their  fathers,  and  live  upon  the  fruit  of  their  labors, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  311 

without  submitting  to  the  power  of  that  Cross,  which 
made  them  what  they  were.  There  appears  to  me 
to  be  much  formality  and  dryness  among  them; 
though  there  are  a  few  who  mourn,  almost  without 
hope,  over  the  desolation  that  has  been  made  by  the 
world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil." 

There  were  many  poor  emigrants  on  board  the 
merchant  ship,  in  which  Friend  Hopper  returned 
home.  He  soon  established  friendly  communication 
with  them,  and  entered  with  sympathy  into  all  their 
troubles.  He  made  frequent  visits  to  the  steerage 
during  the  long  voyage,  and  always  had  something 
comforting  and  cheering  to  say  to  the  poor  souls. 
There  was  a  clergyman  on  board,  who  also  wished 
to  benefit  them,  but  he  approached  them  in  an  offi- 
cial way,  to  which  they  did  not  so  .readily  respond. 
One  day,  when  he  invited  the  emigrants  to  join  him 
in  prayer,  an  old  Irishwoman  replied,  "I'd  rather 
play  a  game  o'cards,  than  hear  you  prache  and 
pray."  She  pointed  to  Friend  Hopper,  and  added, 
"  He  comes  and  stays  among  us,  and  always  spakes 
a  word  o'  comfort,  and  does  us  some  good.  But  you 
come  and  prache  and  pray,  and  then  you  are  gone. 
One  look  from  that  Quaker  gintleman  is  worth  all 
the  praching  and  praying  that  be  in  you." 

The  vessel  encountered  a  dense  fog,  and  ran  on  a 
sand  bank  as  they  approached  the  Jersey  shore.  A 
tremendous  sea  was  rolling,  and  dashed  against  the 


312  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

ship  with  such  force,  that  she  seemed  every  moment 
in  danger  of  being  shattered  into  fragments.  If 
there  had  been  a  violent  gale  of  wind,  all  must  have 
been  inevitably  lost.  The  passengers  were  generally 
in  a  state  of  extreme  terror.  Screams  and  groans 
were  heard  in  every  direction.  But  Friend  Hop- 
per's mind  was  preserved  in  a  state  of  great  equa- 
nimity. He  entreated'the  people  to  be  quiet,  and  try 
to  keep  possession  of  their  faculties,  that  they  might 
be  ready  to  do  whatever  was  best,  in  case  of  emer- 
gency. Seeing  him  so  calm,  they  gathered  closely 
round  him,  as  if  they  thought  he  had  some  power  to 
save  them.  There  was  a  naval  officer  on  board, 
whose  frenzied  state  of  feeling  vented  itself  in  blas- 
phemous language.  Friend  Hopper,  who  was  al- 
ways disturbed  by  irreverent  use  of  the  name  of 
Deity,  was  peculiarly  shocked  by  it  under  these 
solemn  circumstances.  He  walked  up  to  the  officer, 
put  his  hand  on  his  shoulder,  and  looking  him  in  the 
face,  said,  "From  what  I  have  heard  of  thy  military 
exploits,  I  supposed  thou  wert  a  brave  man ;  but 
here  thou  art  pouring  forth  blasphemies,  to  keep  up 
the  appearance  of  courage,  while  thy  pale  face  and 
quivering  lips  show  that  thou  art  in  mortal  fear.  I 
am  ashamed  of  thee.  If  thou  hast  no  reverence  for 
Deity  thyself,  thou  shouldst  show  some  regard  for 
the  feelings  of  those  who  have."  The  officer  ceased 
swearing,  and  treated  his  adviser  with  marked  res 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  313 

pect.     A  friendship  was  formed  between  them,  which 
continued  as  long  as  the  captain  lived. 

The  clergyman  on  board  afterward  said  to  Friend 
Hopper,  "  If  any  other  person  had  talked  to  him  in 
that  manner,  he  would  have  knocked  him  down." 

In  about  two  hours,  the  vessel  floated  off  the  sand- 
oar  and  went  safely  into  the  harbor  of  New- York. 
At  the  custom-house,  the  clergyman  was  in  some 
perplexity  about  a  large  quantity  of  books  he  had 
brought  with  him,  on  which  it  was  proposed  to  charge 
high  duties.  "Perhaps  I  can  get  them  through  for 
thee,"  said  Friend  Hopper.  "I  will  try."  He  went 
up  to  the  officer,  and  said,  "Isn't  it  a  rule  of  the 
custom-house  not  to  charge  a  man  for  the  tools  of 
his  trade  ?"  He  replied  that  it  was.  "  Then  thou 
art  bound  to  let  this  priest's  books  pass  free,"  rejoin- 
ed the  Friend.  "Preaching  is  the  trade  he  gets  his 
living  by ;  and  these  books  are  the  tools  he  must 
use."  The  clergyman  being  aware  of  Quaker  views 
with  regard  to  a  paid  ministry,  seemed  doubtful 
whether  to  be  pleased  or  not,  with  such  a  mode  of 
helping  him  out  of  difficulty.  However,  he  took  the 
joke  as  good  naturedly  as  it  was  offered,  and  the 
books  passed  free,  on  the  assurance  that  they  were 
all  for  his  own  library. 

Friend  Hopper's  bookstore  in   New- York  was  a 
place  of  great  resort  for  members  of  his  own  sect 

His   animated   style   of  conversation,   his  thousand 
14 


314  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

and  one  anecdotes  of  runaway  slaves,  his  descrip- 
tions of  keen  encounters  with  the  "  Orthodox,"  in  the 
process  of  separation,  attracted  many  listeners.  His 
intelligence  and  well-known  conscientiousness  com- 
manded respect,  and  he  was  held  in  high  estimation 
by  his  own  branch  of  the  Society,  though  the  oppo- 
site party  naturally  entertained  a  less  favorable  opin- 
ion of  the  "Hicksite"  champion.  Such  a  character 
as  he  was  must  necessarily  always  be  a  man  ol 
mark,  with  warm  friends  and  bitter  enemies. 

His  resemblance  to  Bonaparte  attracted  attention 
in  New-York,  as  it  had  done  in  Philadelphia.  Not 
long  after  he  removed  to  that  city,  there  was  a  dra- 
matic representation  at  the  Park  Theatre,  in  which 
Placide  personated  the  French  Emperor.  While 
this  play  was  attracting  public  attention,  the  mana- 
ger happened  to  meet  Friend  Hopper  in  the  street. 
As  soon  as  he  saw  him,  he  exclaimed,  "Here  is  Na- 
poleon himself  come  back  again  !"  He  remarked  to 
some  of  his  acquaintance  that  he  would  gladly  give 
that  Quaker  gentleman  one  hundred  dollars  a  night, 
if  he  would  consent  to  appear  on  the  stage  in  the 
costume  of  Bonaparte. 

About  this  period  northern  hostility  to  slavery 
took  a  new  form,  more  bold  and  uncompromising 
than  the  old  Abolition  Societies.  It  demanded  the 
immediate  and  unconditional  emancipation  of  every 
slave,  in  a  voice  which  has  not  yet  been  silenced, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  315 

and  never  will  be,  while  the  oppressive  system  con- 
tinues to  disgrace  our  country.  Of  course,  Friend 
Hopper  could  not  otherwise  than  sympathize  \vith 
any  movement  for  the  abolition  of  slavery,  based  on 
pacific  principles.  Pictures  and  pamphlets,  published 
by  the  Anti-Slavery  Society  were  offered  for  sale  in 
his  book-store.  During  the  popular  excitement  on  this 
subject,  in  1834,  he  was  told  that  his  store  was  about 
to  be  attacked  by  an  infuriated  rabble,  and  he  had 
better  remove  all  such  publications  from  the  win- 
dow. "Dost  thou  think  I  am  such  a  coward  as  to 
forsake  my  principles,  or  conceal  them,  at  the  bid- 
ding of  a  mob  ?"  said  he.  Presently,  another  mes- 
senger came  to  announce  that  the  mob  were  already 
in  progress,  at  the  distance  of  a  few  streets.  He 
was  earnestly  advised  at  least  to  put  up  the  shut- 
ters, that  their  attention  might  not  be  attracted  by 
the  pictures.  "I  shall  do  no  such  thing,"  he  replied. 
The  excited  throng  soon  came  pouring  down  the 
street,  with  loud  and  discordant  yells.  Friend  Hop- 
per walked  out  and  stood  on  the  steps.  The  mob 
stopped  in  front  of  his  store.  He  looked  calmly  and 
firmly  at  them,  and  they  looked  irresolutely  at  him, 
like  a  wild  animal  spell-bound  by  the  fixed  gaze  of  a 
human  eye.  After  a  brief  pause,  they  renewed  their 
yells,  and  some  of  their  leaders  called  out,  "  Go  on, 
to  Rose-street  !"  They  obeyed  these  orders,  and  in 
the  absence  of  Lewis  Tappan,  a  well-known  aboli- 


316  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

tionist,  they  burst  open  his  house,  and  destroyed  his 
furniture. 

In  1835,  Judge  Chinn,  of  Mississippi,  visited  New- 
York,  and  brought  with  him  a  slave,  said  to  have 
cost  the  large  sum  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars.    A  few 
days  after  their  arrival  in  the  city,  the  slave  eloped, 
and  a  reward  of  five  hundred  dollars  was  offered  for 
his   apprehension.     Friend    Hopper    knew    nothing 
about  him ;  but  some  mischievous  person  wrote  a 
note  to  Judge  Chinn,  stating  that  the  fugitive  was 
concealed  at  his  store,  in  Pearl-street.     A  warrant 
was  procured  and  put  into  the  hands  of  a  constable 
frequently  employed  in  that  base  business.     At  that 
season  of  the  year,  many  Southerners  were  in  the 
city  to  purchase  goods.     A  number  of  them  accom- 
panied the    judge   to  Pearl-street,   and  distributed 
themselves  at  short  distances,  in  order  to  arrest  the 
slave,  in  case  he  attempted  to  escape.     They  pre- 
ferred to  search  the  store  in  the  absence  of  Friend 
Hopper,  and  watched  nearly  an  hour  for  a  favorable 
opportunity.     Meanwhile,   he   was   entirely   uncon- 
scious of  their  proceedings  ;  and  having  occasion  to 
call  at  a  house  a  few  doors  below,  he  left  the  store 
for  a  short  time  in  charge  of  one  of  his  sons.     As 
soon  as  he  was  gone,  four  or  five  men  rushed  in. 
Not  finding  the  object  of  their  pursuit,  they  jumped 
out  of  a  back  window,  and  bearan  to  search  some 

*  o 

buildings  in  the  rear.     When  people  complained  of 


LIFE    OF    IS4AC    T.    HOPPER.  317 

such  unceremonious  intrusion  upon  their  premises, 
the  constable  excused  himself  by  saying  they  were 
trying  to  apprehend  a  felon.  Friend  Hopper's  son 
called  out  that  it  was  a  slave,  not  a  felon,  they  were 
in  search  of ;  for  he  heard  them  say  so.  This  made 
the  constable  very  angry  ;  for,  like  most  slave-catch- 
(ers,  he  was  eager  for  the  reward,  but  rather  ashamed 
of  the  services  by  which  he  sought  to  obtain  it.  He 
swore  roundly,  and  one  of  his  party  gave  the  young 
man  a  blow  on  his  face. 

Friend  Hopper,  being  sent  for,  returned  immedi- 
ately ;  and  for  some  time  after,  he  observed  a  re- 
spectable looking  person  occasionally  peeping  into 
the  store,  and  skulking  out  of  sight  as  soon  as  he 
thought  himself  observed.  At  last,  he  went  to  the 
door,  and  said,  "My  friend,  if  thou  hast  business 
with  me,  come  in  and  let  me  know  what  it  is  ;  but 
don't  be  prying-  about  my  premises  in  that  way." 
He  walked  off,  and  joined  a  group  of  people,  who 
seemed  to  be  much  excited.  Friend  Hopper  fol- 
lowed, and  found  they  were  the  men  who  had  been 
recently  searching  his  store.  He  said  to  their  lead- 
er, "Art  thou  the  impertinent  fellow  who  has  been 
intruding  upon  my  premises,  in  my  absence?"  The 
constable  replied  that  he  had  a  warrant,  and  was 
determined  to  execute  it.  Though  a  stranger  to  his 
countenance,  Friend  Hopper  was  well  aware  that  he 
was  noted  for  hunting  slaves,  and  being  unable  to 


318  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

disguise  his  abhorrence  of  the  odious  business,  he 
said,  "Judas  betrayed  his  master  for  thirty  pieces  of 
silver ;  and  for  a  like  sum,  I  suppose  thou  wouldst 
seize  thy  brother  by  the  throat,  and  send  him  into 
interminable  bondage.  If  thy  conscience  were  *as 
susceptible  of  conviction  as  his  was,  thou  wouldst  do 
as  he  did  ;  and  thus  rid  the  community  of  an  intolera- 
ble nuisance." 

One  of  the  Southerners  repeated  the  word  "Bro- 
ther ! "  in  a  very  sneering  tone. 

"Yes,"  rejoined  Friend  Hopper,  "I  said  brother." 

He  returned  to  his  store,  but  was  soon  summoned 
into  the  street  again,  by  a  complaint  that  the  con- 
stable and  his  troop  of  slaveholders  were  very  rough- 
ly handling  a  colored  man,  saying  he  had  no  business 
to  keep  in  their  vicinity.  When  Friend  Hopper  in- 
terfered, to  prevent  further  abuse,  several  of  the 
Southerners  pointed  bowie-knives  and  pistols  at  him. 
He  told  the  constable  it  was  his  duty,  as  a  police-of- 
ficer, to  arrest  those  men  for  carrying  deadly  wea- 
pons and  making  such  a  turmoil  in  the  street ;  and  he 
threatened  to  complain  of  him  if  he  did  not  do  it. 
He  complied  very  reluctantly,  and  of  course  the  cul- 
prits escaped  before  they  reached  the  police-office. 

A  few  days  after,  as  young  Mr.  Hopper  was  walk- 
ing up  Chatham-street,  on  his  way  home  in  the  eve- 
ning, some  unknown  person  came  behind  him,  knock- 
ed him  down,  and  beat  him  in  a  most  savage  man- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  319 

ner,  so  that  he  was  unable  to  leave  his  room  for 
many  days.  No  doubt  was  entertained  that  this 
brutal  attack  was  by  one  of  the  company  who  were 
on  the  search  for  Judge  Chinn's  slave. 

It  was  afterward  rumored  that  the  fugitive  had  ar- 
jrived  safely  in  Canada.  I  never  heard  that  he  re- 
turned to  the  happy  condition  of  slavery  ;  though  his 
master  predicted  that  he  would  do  so,  and  said  he 
never  would  have  been  so  foolish  as  to  leave  it,  if  it 
had  not  been  for  the  false  representations  of  aboli- 
tionists. 

In  1836,  the  hatred  which  Southerners  bore  to 
Friend  Hopper's  name  was  manifested  in  a  cruel  and 
altogether  unprovoked  outrage  on  his  son,  which 
caused  the  young  man  a  great  deal  of  suffering,  and 
well  nigh  cost  him  his  life.  John  Hopper,  Esq.,  now 
a  lawyer  in  the  city  of  New- York,  had  occasion  to 
go  to  the  South  on  business.  He  remained  in 
Charleston  about  two  months,  daring  which  time  he 
was  treated  with  courtesy  in  his  business  relations, 
and  received  many  kind  attentions  in  the  intercourse 
of  social  life.  One  little  incident  that  occurred  dur- 
ing his  visit  illustrates  the  tenacious  attachment  of 
Friends  to  their  own  mode  of  worship.  When  he 
left  home,  his  father  had  exhorted  him  to  attend 
Friends'  meeting  while  he  was  in  Charleston.  He 
told  him  that  a  meeting  had  been  established  there 
many  years  ago,  but  he  supposed  there  were  not 


320  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

half  a  dozen  members  remaining,  and  probably  they 
had  no  ministry ;  for  the  original  settlers  had  died, 
or  left  Carolina  on  account  of  their  testimony  against 
slavery.  But  as  Quakers  believe  that  silent  worship 
is  often  more  blessed  to  the  soul,  than  the  most 
eloquent  preaching,  he  had  a  strong  desire  that  his 
son  should  attend  the  meeting  constantly,  even  if  he 
found  but  two  or  three  to  unite  with  him.  The 
young  man  promised  that  he  would  do  so.  Ac- 
cordingly, when  he  arrived  in  Charleston,  he  in- 
quired for  the  meeting-house,  and  was  informed  that 
it  was  well  nigh  deserted.  On  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  he  went  to  the  place  designated,  and  found  a 
venerable,  kind-looking  Friend  seated  under  the 
preachers'  gallery.  In  obedience  to  a  signal  from 
him,  he  took  a  seat  by  his  side,  and  they  remained 
there  in  silence  nearly  two  hours.  Then  the  old  man 
turned  and  shook  hands  with  him,  as  an  indication 
that  the  meeting  wras  concluded,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  When  he  found 
that  he  was  talking  to  the  son  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper, 
and  that  he  had  promised  to  attend  meeting  there, 
during  his  stay  in  Charleston,  he  was  so  much  af- 
fected, that  his  eyes  filled  with  tears.  "  Oh,  I  shall 
be  glad  of  thy  company,"  said  he  ;  "for  most  of  the 
time,  this  winter,  I  am  here  all  alone.  My  old 
friends  and  companions  have  all  died,  or  moved 
away.  I  come  here  twice  on  First  days,  and  once 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  321 

on  Fifth  day,  and  sit  all,  all  alone,  till  I  feel  it  right 
to  leave  the  house  and  go  home." 

This  lonely  old  worshipper  once  had  an  intimate 
friend,  who  for  a  long  time  was  his  only  companion 
in  the  silent  meeting.  At  the  close,  they  shook 
hands  and  walked  off  together,  enjoying  a  kindly 
chat  on  their  way  home.  Unfortunately,  some  diffi- 
culty afterward  occurred  between  them,  which  com 
pletely  estranged  them  from  each  other.  Both  still 
clung  to  their  old  place  of  worship.  They  took 
their  accustomed  seats,  and  remained  silent  for  a 
couple  of  hours ;  but  they  parted  without  shaking 
hands,  or  speaking  a  single  word.  This  alienation 
almost  broke  the  old  man's  heart.  After  awhile,  he 
lost 'even,  this  shadow  of  companionship,  and  there 
remained  only  "the  voice  within,"  and  echoes  of 
memory  from  the  empty  benches. 

While  Mr.  Hopper  remained  in  Charleston,  he 
went  to  the  Quaker  meeting-house  every  Sunday, 
and  rarely  found  any  one  there  except  the  perse- 
vering old  Friend,  who  often  invited  him  to  go  home 
with  him.  He  seemed  to  take  great  satisfaction  in 
talking  with  him  about  his  father,  and  listening  to 
what  he  had  heard  him  say  concerning  the  Society 
of  Friends.  When  the  farewell  hour  came,  he  was 
much  affected ;  for  he  felt  it  not  likely  they  would 
ever  meet  again ;  and  the  conversation  of  the  young 
stranger  had  formed  a  link  between  him  and  the 
14* 


322  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Quakerism  he  loved  so  well.  The  old  man  con- 
tinued to  sit  alone  under  the  preacher's  gallery  till 
the  house  took  fire  and  was  burned  to  the  ground. 
He  died  soon  after  that  event,  at  a  very  advanced 
age. 

Another  incident,  which  occurred  during  Mr. 
Hopper's  stay  in  Charleston,  seemed  exceedingly 
trivial  at  the  time,  but  came  very  near  producing  fa- 
tal consequences.  One  day,  when  a  clergyman 
whom  he  visited  was  showing  him  his  library,  he 
mentioned  that  his  father  had  quite  an  antiquarian 
taste  for  old  documents  connected  with  the  Society 
of  Friends.  At  parting,  the  clergyman  gave  him 
several  pamphlets  for  his  father,  and  among  them 
happened  to  be  a  tract  published  by  Friends  in  Phila- 
delphia, describing  the  colony  at  Sierra  Leone,  and 
giving  an  account  of  the  slave  trade  on  the  coast  of 
Africa.  He  put  the  pamphlets  in  his  trunk,  and 
started  for  Savannah,  where  he  arrived  on  the  twen- 
ty-eighth of  January.  At  the  City  Hotel,  he  unfor- 
tunately encountered  a  marshal  of  the  city  of  New- 
York,  who  was  much  employed  in  catching  runaway 
slaves,  and  of  course  sympathized  with  slaveholders. 
He  pointed  the  young  stranger  out,  as  a  son  of  Isaac 
T.  Hopper,  the  notorious  abolitionist.  This  infor- 
mation kindled  a  flame  immediately,  and  they  began 
to  discuss  plans  of  vengeance.  The  traveller,  not 
dreaming  of  danger,  retired  to  his  room  soon  after 


LIFE    OP  ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  323 

supper.  In  a  few  minutes,  his  door  was  forced  open 
by  a  gang  of  intoxicated  men,  escorted  by  the  New- 
York  marshal.  They  assailed  him  with  a  volley  of 
blasphemous  language,  struck  him,  kicked  him,  and 
spit  in  his  face.  They  broke  open  and  rifled  his 
trunk,  and  searched  his  pockets  for  abolition  docu- 
ments. When  they  found  the  harmless  little  Quaker 
tract  about  the  colony  at  Sierra  Leone,  they  scream- 
ed with  exultation.  They  shouted,  "  Here  is  what 
we  wanted  !  Here  is  proof  of  abolitionism  !"  Some 
of  them  rushed  out  and  told  the  mob,  who  crowded 
the  bar-room  and  entries,  that  they  had  found  a  trunk 
full  of  abolition  tracts.  Others  seized  Mr.  Hopper 
violently,  telling  him  to  say  his  last  prayers,  and  go 
with  them.  The  proprietor  of  the  City  Hotel  was 
very  naturally  alarmed  for  the  safety  of  the  building. 
He  was  in  a  great  passion,  and  conjured  them  to 
carry  their  victim  down  forthwith  ;  saying  he  could 
do  nothing  with  the  mob  below,  who  were  getting 
very  impatient  waiting  for  him.  Turning  to  Mr. 
Hopper,  he  said,  "Young  man,  you  are  in  a  very 
unfortunate  situation.  You  ought  never  to  have  left 
your  home.  But  it  is  your  own  doing ;  and  you  de- 
serve your  fate."  When  appealed  to  for  protection, 
he  exclaimed,  "Good  God!  you  must  not  appeal  to 
me.  This  is  a  damned  delicate  business.  I  shall 
not  be  able  to  protect  my  own  property.  But  I  will 
go  for  the  mayor." 


324  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

One  of  the  bar-keeper's  confidential  friends  sent 
him  a  slip  of  paper,  on  which  was  written,  "His 
only  mode  of  escape  is  by  the  window ;"  and  the 
bar-keeper,  who  had  previously  shown  himself  de- 
cidedly unfriendly,  urged  him  again  and  again  to 
profit  by  this  advice.  He  occupied  the  third  story, 
and  the  street  below  his  window  was  thronged  with 
an  infuriated  mob,  thirsting  and  clamoring  for  his 
blood.  In  view  of  these  facts,  it  seems  not  very  un- 
charitable to  suppose  that  the  advice  was  given  to 
make  sure  of  his  death,  apparently  by  his  own  act, 
and  thus  save  the  city  of  Savannah  from  the  dis- 
grace of  the  deed.  Of  the  two  terrible  alternatives, 
he  preferred  going  down-stairs  into  the  midst  of  the 
angry  mob,  who  were  getting  more  and  more  mad- 
dened by  liquor,  having  taken  forcible  possession  of 
the  bar.  He  considered  his  fate  inevitable,  and  had 
made  up  his  mind  to  die.  But  at  the  foot  of  the 
stairs,  he  was  met  by  the  mayor  and  several  alder- 
men, whose  timely  arrival  saved  his  life.  After  ask- 
ing some  questions,  and  receiving  the  assurance  that 
he  came  to  Savannah  solely  on  commercial  business, 
the  magistrates  accompanied  Mr.  Hopper  to  his 
room,  and  briefly  examined  his  books  and  papers. 
The  mayor  then  went  down  and  addressed  the  mob, 
assuring  them  that  he  should  be  kept  in  custody  dur- 
ing the  night ;  that  strict  investigation  should  be 
made,  and  if  there  was  the  slightest  evidence  of  his 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  325 

being  an  abolitionist,  he  should  not  be  suffered  to  go 
at  large.  The  mayor  and  a  large  body  of  civil  offi- 
cers accompanied  the  prisoner  to  the  guard-house, 
and  a  number  of  citizens  volunteered  their  services, 
to  strengthen  the  escort ;  but  all  their  efforts  scarce- 
ly sufficed  to  keep  him  from  the  grasp  of  the  infuriat- 
ed multitude.  He  was  placed  in  a  noisome  cell,  to 
await  his  trial,  and  the  customary  guard  was  increas- 
ed for  his  protection.  Portions  of  the  mob  continued 
howling  round  the  prison  all  night,  and  the  mayor 
was  sent  for  several  times  to  prevent  their  bursting 
in.  A  gallows  was  erected,  with  a  barrel  of  feathers 
and  a  tub  of  tar  in  readiness  under  it,  that  they  might 
amuse  themselves  with  their  victim  before  they  mur- 
dered him. 

Next  morning,  at  five  o'clock,  the  prisoner  was 
brought  before  the  mayor  for  further  examination. 
Many  of  the  mob  followed  him  to  the  door  of  the 
office  to  await  the  issue.  The  evidence  was  satis- 
factory that  he  belonged  to  no  anti-slavery  society, 
and  that  his  business  in  Savannah  had  no  connection 
whatever  with  that  subject.  As  for  the  pamphlet 
about  Sierra  Leone,  the  mayor  said  he  considered 
that  evidence  in  his  favor ;  because  it  was  written  in 
support  of  colonization.  Before  the  examination 
closed,  there  came  a  driving  rain,  which  dispersed 
the  mob  lying  in  wait  round  the  building.  Aided  by 
this  lucky  storm  their  destined  victim  passed  out 


326  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

without  being  observed.  At  parting,  the  mayor 
said  to  him,  "Young  man,  you  may  consider  it  a 
miracle  that  you  have  escaped  with  your  life." 

He  took  refuge  on  board  the  ship  Angelique, 
bound  for  New- York,  and  was  received  with  much 
kindness  and  sympathy  by  Captain  Nichols,  the 
commander.  There  was  likewise  a  sailor  on  board, 
who  happened  to  be  one  of  the  many  that  owed  a 
debt  of  gratitude  to  Friend  Hopper  ;  and  he  swore 
he  would  shoot  anybody  that  attempted  to  harm  his 
son.  In  a  short  time,  a  messenger  came  from  the 
mayor  to  announce  that  the  populace  had  discovered 
where  Mr.  Hopper  was  secreted,  and  would  probably 
attack  the  vessel.  In  this  emergency,  the  captain 
behaved  nobly  toward  his  hunted  fellow-citizen.  He 
requested  him  to  lie  down  flat  in  the  bottom  of  a 
boat,  which  he  himself  entered  and  conducted  to  a 
brig  bound  for  Providence.  The  captain  was  a 
New-England  man,  but  having  been  long  engaged  in 
Southern  trade,  his  principles  on  the  subject  of 
slavery  were  adapted  to  his  interest.  He  gave  the 
persecuted  young  traveller  a  most  ungracious  recep- 
tion, and  said  if  he  thought  he  was  an  abolitionist  he 
would  send  him  directly  back  to  Savannah.  How- 
ever, the  representations  of  Captain  Nichols  induced 
him  to  consent  that  he  should  be  put  on  board. 
They  had  a  tedious  passage  of  thirty-five  days, 
during  which  there  was  a  long  and  violent  storm, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  327 

that  seemed  likely  to  wreck  the  vessel.  The  mob 
had  robbed  Mr.  Hopper  of  his  money  and  clothing. 
He  had  no  comfortable  garments  to  shield  him  froii 
the  severe  cold,  and  his  hands  and  feet  were  frozen. 
At  last,  he  arrived  at  Providence,  and  went  on  board 
the  steamer  Benjamin  Franklin,  bound  for  New- 
York.  There  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  meet  with 
a  colored  waiter,  whose  father  had  been  redeemed 
from  slavery  by  Friend  Hopper's  exertions.  He  was 
assiduously  devoted  to  the  son  of  his  benefactor,  and 
did  everything  in  his  power  to  alleviate  his  distressed 
condition. 

When  the  traveller  arrived  at  his  home,  he  was  so 
haggard  and  worn  down  with  danger  and  fatigue, 
that  his  family  scarcely  recognized  him.  His  father 
was  much  excited  and  deeply  affected,  when  he 
heard  what  perils  he  had  gone  through  merely  on 
account  of  his  name.  He  soon  after  addressed  the 
following  letter  to  the  mayor  of  Savannah  : 

NEW-YORK,  4th  month,  18th,  1836. 
"FRIEND, 

My  object  in  addressing  thee  is  to  express 
my  heartfelt  gratitude  for  thy  exertions  in  saving 
the  life  of  my  son,  which  I  have  cause  to  believe 
was  in  imminent  peril,  from  the  violence  of  unreason- 
able men,  while  in  your  city  a  few  weeks  ago.  I  am 
informed  that  very  soon  after  his  arrival  in  Savan- 


328  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

nah,  the  fact  became  known  to  a  marshal  of  this 
city,  who  was  then  there,  and  who,  by  his  misre- 
presentations, excited  the  rabble  to  a  determination  to 
perpetrate  the  most  inhuman  outrage  upon  him,  and 
in  all  probability  to  take  his  life  ;  and  that  prepara- 
tions wrere  made,  which,  if  carried  into  effect,  would 
doubtless  have  produced  that  result. 

Tar  and  feathers,  as  a  mode  of  punishment,  I  am 
inclined  to  think  is  rather  of  modern  invention  ;  and 
I  am  doubtful  whether  they  will  be  more  efficient 
than  whipping,  cutting  off  ears,  the  rack,  the  halter, 
and  the  stake.  Superstition  and  intolerance  have 
long  ago  called  in  all  these  to  their  aid,  in  suppress- 
ing reformati6n  in  religion ;  but  they  were  unable  to 
accomplish  the  end  designed ;  and  if  I  am  not  greatly 
mistaken,  they  would  prove  entirely  insufficient  to 
stop  the  progress  of  emancipation. 

If  it  is  the  determination  of  the  people  of  Savan- 
nah to  deliver  up  to  a  lawless  and  blood-thirsty  mob 
every  person  coming  among  them  whose  sentiments 
are  opposed  to  slavery,  I  apprehend  there  are  very 
few  at  the  North  wrho  would  not  be  obnoxious  to 
their  hostility.  For  I  believe  they  all  view  slavery 
as  an  evil  that  must  be  abolished  at  no  very  distant 
day.  Would  it  not  be  well  for  the  people  of  the 
South  to  reflect  upon  the  tendency  of  their  conduct  ? 
Where  such  aggressions  upon  humanity  are  com- 
mitted, the  slaves  will  naturally  inquire  into  the 


LIFE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER.          329 

cause  ;  and  when  they  are  informed  that  it  is  in  con- 
sequence of  their  oppressed  and  degraded  condition, 
and  that  the  persons  thus  persecuted  are  charged 
with  being  their  friends,  they  cannot  feel  indifferent. 
One  such  scene  as  was  witnessed  in  the  case  of  my 
son  would  tend  more  to  excite  a  spirit  of  insurrec- 
tion and  insubordination  among  them,  than  ten  thou- 
sand '  incendiary  pamphlets,'  not  one  word  of  which 
any  of  them  could  read.  My  son  went  to  Savannah 
solely  on  his  own  private  business,  without  any  in- 
tention of  interfering  with  the  slaves,  or  with  the 
subject  of  slavery  in  any  way.  But  even  supposing 
the  charge  to  have  been  true,  do  not  your  laws 
award  sufficient  punishment  ?  How  could  you  stand 
silently  by,  and  witness  proceedings  that  would  put 
to  blush  the  Arab,  or  the  untutored  inhabitant  of  the 
wilderness  in  our  own  country  ?  The  negroes,  whom 
you  affect  to  despise  so  much,  would  set  an  example 
of  benevolence  and  humanity,  when  on  their  own 
soil,  if  a  stranger  came  among  them,  which  you  can- 
not be  prepared  to  imitate,  till  you  have  made  great 
improvements  in  civilization. 

The  people  of  Savannah  profess  Christianity  ; 
but  what  avails  profession,  where  latitude  is  given  to 
the  vilest  and  most  depraved  passions  of  the  human 
heart  ?  Suppose  the  mob  had  murdered  my  son  ;  a 
young  man  who  went  among  you  in  the  ordinary 
course  of  his  business,  and  who,  even  according  to 


330  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

your  understanding  of  the  term,  had  done  no  evil ;  a 
young  man  of  fair  reputation,  with  numerous  near 
relatives  and  friends  to  mourn  over  the  barbarous 
deed  ;  would  you  have  been  guiltless  ?  I  think  the 
just  witness  in  your  consciences  would  answer 
No. 

I  have  long  deplored  the  evils  of  slavery,  and 
my  sympathy  has  often  been  much  excited  for  the 
master,  as  well  as  the  slave.  I  am  aware  of  the 
difficulties  attending  the  system,  and  I  should  rejoice 
if  I  could  aid  in  devising  some  mode  of  relief,  that 
wrould  satisfy  the  claims  of  justice  and  humanity, 
and  at  the  same  time  be  acceptable  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  South. 

It  is  certainly  cause  of  deep  regret  that  the 
Southern  people  suffer  their  angry  passions  to  be- 
come so  highly  excited  on  this  subject,  which,  of  all 
others,  ought  to  be  calmly  considered.  For  it  re- 
mains a  truth  that  '  the  wrath  of  man  worketh  not 
the  righteousness  of  God,'  neither  can  it  open  his 
eyes  to  see  in  what  his  best  interest  consists.  0, 
that  your  ears  may  be  open  to  the  voice  of  wisdom 
before  it  is  too  late  !  The  language  of  an  eminent 
statesman,  who  was  a  slaveholder,  often  occurs  to 
me  :  'I  tremble  for  my  country  when  I  reflect  that 
God  is  just,  and  that  his  justice  will  not  sleep  for- 
ever.' Surely  we  have  high  authority  for  believing 
that  'For  the  crying  of  the  poor,  and  the  sighing  of 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  331 

the  needy,  God  will  arise.'  I  hope  I  shall  not  be 
suspected  of  entertaining  hostile  or  unkind  feelings 
toward  the  people  of  the  South,  when  I  say  that  I 
believe  slavery  must  and  will  be  abolished.  As  sure 
as  God  is  merciful  and  good,  it  is  an  evil  that  can- 
not endure  forever. 

An  inspired  apostle  says,  that  our  gracious  Crea- 
tor '  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men ;'  and 
our  Saviour  gave  this  commandment :  'As  ye  would 
that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  also  to  them  like- 
wise.' If  we  believe  these  declarations,  and  I  hope 
none  doubt  their  authority,  I  should  think  reasoning 
unnecessary  to  convince  us  that  to  oppress  and  en- 
slave our  fellow  men  cannot  be  pleasing  to  Him,  who 
is  just  and  equal  in  all  his  ways. 

My  concern  for  the  welfare  of  my  fellow  men  is 
not  confined  to  color,  or  circumscribed  by  geographi- 
cal lines.  I  can  never  see  human  suffering  without 
feeling  compassion,  and  I  would  always  gladly  alle- 
viate it,  if  I  had  it  in  my  power.  I  remember  that 
we  are  all,  without  distinction  of  color  or  locality, 
children  of  the  same  Universal  Parent,  who  delights 
to  see  the  human  family  dwell  together  in  peace  and 
harmony.  I  am  strongly  inclined  to  the  opinion  that 
the  proceedings  of  that  portion  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  North  who  are  called  abolitionists,  would  not 
produce  so  much  agitation  and  excitement  at  the 
South,  if  the  people  there  felt  entirely  satisfied  that 


332  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

slavery  was  justifiable  in  the  sight  of  infinite  purity 
and  justice.  An  eminent  minister  of  the  Gospel, 
about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  often 
urged  upon  the  attention  of  people  this  emphatic  in- 
junction :  'Mind  the  light !'  'All  things  that  are  re- 
proved are  made  manifest  by  the  light ;  for  whatso- 
ever doth  make  manifest  is  light.'  Now,  if  this  light, 
or  spirit  of  truth,  '  a  manifestation  of  which  is  given 
to  every  man  to  profit  withal,'  should  be  found  testi- 
fying in  your  consciences  against  injustice  and  op- 
pression, regard  its  admonitions !  It  will  let  none 
remain  at  ease  in  their  sins.  It  will  justify  for  well 
doing ;  but  to  those  who  rebel  against  it,  and  disre- 
gard its  reproofs,  it  will  become  the  '  worm  that  di- 
eth  not,  and  the  fire  that  is  not  quenched.' 

I  am  awrare  that  complaints  are  often  made,  be- 
cause obstacles  are  thrown  in  the  way  of  Southern- 
ers reclaiming  their  fugitive  slaves.  But  bring  the 
matter  home  to  yourselves.  Suppose  a  white  man 
resided  among  you,  who,  for  a  series  of  years,  had 
conducted  with  sobriety,  industry,  and  probity,  and 
had  given  frequent  evidence  of  the  kindness  of  his 
heart,  by  a  disposition  to  oblige  whenever  opportuni- 
ty offered ;  suppose  he  had  a  wife  and  children  de- 
pendent upon  him,  and  supported  them  comfortably 
and  respectably ;  could  you  see  that  man  dragged 
from  his  bed,  and  from  the  bosom  of  his  family,  in 
the  dead  time  of  night,  manacled,  and  hurried  away 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  333 

into  a  distant  part  of  the  country,  where  his  family 
could  never  see  him  again,  and  where  they  knew  he 
must  linger  out  a  miserable  existence,  more  intolera- 
ble than  death,  amid  the  horrors  of  slavery  ?  I  ask 
whether  you  could  witness  all  this,  without  the  most 
poignant  grief?  This  is  no  picture  of  the  fancy. 
It  is  a  sober  reality.  The  only  difference  is,  the 
men  thus  treated  are  black.  But  in  my  view,  this 
does  not  diminish  the  horrors  of  such  cruel  deeds. 
Can  it  be  expected  then,  that  the  citizens  of  this 
state,  or  indeed  of  any  other,  would  witness  all  this, 
without  instituting  the  severest  scrutiny  into  the  le- 
gality of  the  proceedings  ?  More  especially,  when 
it  is  known  that  the  persons  employed  in  this  nefari- 
ous business  of  hunting  up  fugitive  slaves  are  men 
destitute  of  principle,  whose  hearts  are  callous  as 
flint,  and  who  would  send  a  free  man  into  bondage 
with  as  little  compunction  as  they  would  a  slave,  if 
they  could  do  it  with  impunity. 

Of  latter  time,  wre  hear  much  said  about  a  dis- 
solution of  the  Union.  Far  better,  in  my  view,  that 
this  should  take  place,  if  it  can  be  effected  without 
violence,  than  to  remain  as  we  are  ;  when  a  peacea- 
ble citizen  cannot  enter  your  territory  on  his  own 
lawful  business,  without  the  risk  of  being  murdered 
by  a  ruthless  mob. 

With  reverent  thankfulness  to  Him,  who  num- 
bers the  hairs  of  our  heads,  without  whose  notice  not 


334  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

even  a  sparrow  falls  to  the  ground,  and  to  whose 
providence  I  consider  myself  indebted  for  the  re- 
demption of  my  beloved  son  from  the  hands  of  bar- 
barians, permit  me  again  to  say  that  I  feel  sincerely 
grateful  to  thee  and  others,  who  kindly  lent  aid, 
though  late,  in  rescuing  him  from  the  violence  of  un- 
reasonable and  wicked  men,  who  sought  his  life 
without  a  cause.  I  may  never  have  it  in  my  power 
to  do  either  of  you  personally  a  kindness  ;  but  some 
other  member  of  the  great  family  of  mankind  may 
need  assistance  in  a  way  that  I  can  relieve  him.  If 
this  should  be  the  case,  I  hope  I  shall  not  fail  to  em- 
brace the  opportunity. 

With  fervent  desires  that  the  beneficent  Creator 
and  Father  of  the  Universe  may  open  the  eyes  of  all 
to  see  that  'the  fast  which  he  hath  chosen  is  to  loose 
the  bands  of  wickedness,  to  undo  the  heavy  burdens 
and  to  let  the  oppressed  go  free,  and  that  ye  break 

every  yoke.' 

I  am  thy  sincere  friend, 

ISAAC  T.  HOPPER." 

Soon  after  the  circumstances  above  related,  the 
mayor  of  New-York  revoked  the  warrant  of  the 
marshal,  who  had  been  so  conspicuous  in  the  out- 
rage. This  step  was  taken  in  consequence  of  his 
own  admissions  concerning  his  conduct. 

In  1837,  a  little  incident  occurred,  which  may  be 
interesting  to  those  who  are  curious  concerning  phre- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  335 

nology.  At  a  small  social  party  in  New- York,  a  dis- 
cussion arose  on  that  subject ;  and,  as  usual,  some 
were  disposed  to  believe  and  others  to  ridicule.  At 
last  the  disputants  proposed  to  test  the  question  by 
careful  experiment.  Friend  Hopper  was  one  of  the 
party,  and  they  asked  him  to  have  his  head  examined 
by  the  well-known  O.  S.  Fowler.  Having  a  good- 
natured  willingness  to  gratify  their  curiosity,  he  con- 
sented. It  was  agreed  that  he  should  not  speak  dur- 
ing the  operation,  lest  the  tones  of  his  voice  might 
serve  as  an  index  of  his  character.  It  was  further 
stipulated  that  no  person  in  the  room  should  give 
any  indication  by  which  the  phrenologist  might  be 
enabled  to  judge  whether  he  was  supposed  to  be 
speaking  correctly  or  not.  The  next  day,  Mr.  Fow- 
ler was  introduced  blindfolded  into  a  room,  where 
Isaac  T.  Hopper  was  seated  with  the  party  of  the 
preceding  evening.  Having  passed  his  hands  over 
the  strongly  developed  head,  he  made  the  following 
statement,  which  was  taken  down  by  a  rapid  writer, 
as  the  words  fell  from  his  lips. 

"The  first  and  strongest  manifestation  of  this 
character  is  efficiency.  Not  one  man  in  a  thousand 
is  capable  of  accomplishing  so  much.  The  strong 
points  are  very  strong ;  the  weak  points  are  weak ; 
so  that  he  is  an  eccentric  and  peculiar  character. 

The  pole-star  of  his  character  is  moral  cour- 
agre. 


336  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

He  has  very  little  reverence,  and  stands  in  no 
awe  of  the  powers  that  be.  He  pays  no  regard  to 
forms  or  ceremonies,  or  established  customs,  in 
church  or  state.  He  renders  no  homage  to  great 
names,  such  as  D.D. ;  L.L.D. ;  or  Excellency.  He 
treats  his  fellow  men  with  kindness  and  affection, 
but  not  with  sufficient  respect  and  courtesy. 

He  is  emphatically  republican  in  feeling  and 
character.  He  makes  himself  free  and  familiar  with 
every  one.  He  often  lets  himself  down  too  much. 
This  constitutes  a  radical  defect  in  his  character. 

He  will  assert  and  maintain  human  rights  and 
liberty  at  every  hazard.  In  this  cause,  he  will  stake 
anything,  or  suffer  anything.  This  constitutes  the 
leading  feature  of  his  character.  Every  other  ele- 
ment is  blended  into  this. 

I  should  consider  him  a  very  cautious-  man  in 
fact,  though  in  appearance  he  is  very  imprudent ; 
especially  in  remarks  on  moral  subjects. 

He  is  too  apt  to  denounce  those  whom  he  con- 
siders in  error ;  to  apply  opprobrious  epithets  and 
censure  in  the  strongest  terms,  and  the  boldest  man- 
ner. 

I  have  seldom,  if  ever,  met  with  a  larger  organ 
of  conscientiousness. 

Nothing  so  much  delights  him  as  to  advocate 
and  propagate  moral  principles  ;  no  matter  how  un- 
popular the  principles  may  be. 


LIFE     OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  337 

He  has  very  little  credulity. 

He  is  one  of  the  closest  observers  of  men  and 
things  anywhere  to  be  found.  He  sees,  as  it  were 
by  intuition  everything  that  passes  around  him,  and 
understands  just  when  and  where  to  take  men  and 
things  ;  just  how  and  where  to  say  things  with 
effect ;  and  in  all  he  says,  he  speaks  directly  to  the 
point. 

He  says  and  does  a  great  many  severe  and  cut- 
ting things.  If  anybody  else  said  and  did  such 
things,  they  would  at  once  get  into  hot  water ;  but 
he  says  and  does  them  in  such  a  manner,  that  even 
his  enemies,  and  those  against  whom  his  censures 
are  aimed,  cannot  be  offended  with  him.  He  is  al- 
ways on  the  verge  of  difficulty,  but  never  in  diffi- 
culty. 

He  is  hated  mainly  by  those  not  personally  ac- 
quainted with  him.  A  personal  interview,  even  with 
his  greatest  enemies,  generally  removes  enmity ;  be- 
cause of  the  smoothness  and  easiness  of  his  man- 
ners. 

He  has  at  command  a  great  amount  of  well-di- 
gested information  on  almost  every  subject,  and 
makes  admirable  use  of  his  knowledge.  He  has  a 
great  many  facts,  and  always  brings  them  in  their 
right  place.  His  general  memory  of  particulars, 
incidents,  places,  and  words,  is  really  wonderful. 

But  he  has  a  weak  memory  concerning  names,  dates, 
15 


338  LIFE    01?    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

numbers,  and  colors.  He  never  recognizes  persons 
by  their  dress,  or  by  the  color  of  anything  pertaining 
to  them. 

He  tells  a  story  admirably,  and  acts  it  out  to  the 
life.  He  makes  a  great  deal  of  fun,  and  keeps 
others  in  a  roar  of  laughter,  while  he  is  sober  him- 
self. For  his  fun,  he  is  as  much  indebted  to  the 
manner  as  to  the  matter.  He  makes  his  jokes 
mainly  by  happy  comparisons,  striking  illustrations, 
and  the  imitative  power  with. which  he  expresses 
them. 

He  possesses  a  great  amount  of  native  talent, 
but  it  is  so  admirably  distributed,  that  he  appears  to 
have  more  than  he  actually  possesses. 

His  attachment  to  his  friends  is  remarkably 
strong  and  ardent.  But  he  will  associate  with  none 
except  those  whose  moral  characters  are  unimpeach- 
able. 

He  expects  and  anticipates  a  great  deal ;  enters 
largely  into  things ;  takes  hold  of  every  measure 
with  spirit ;  and  is  always  overwhelmed  with  busi- 
ness. Move  where  he  will,  he  cannot  be  otherwise 
than  a  distinguished  man." 

That  this  description  was  remarkably  accurate  in 
most  particulars  will  be  obvious  to  those  who  have 
read  the  preceding  anecdotes.  It  is  not  true,  how- 
ever, that  he  was  enthusiastic  in  character,  or  that 
he  had  the  appearance  of  being  so.  He  was  far  too 


LIFE    OF  ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  339 

practical  and  self-possessed,  to  have  the  reputation 
of  being  "half  crazy,"  even  among  those  who  are 
prone  to  regard  everything  as  insane  that  is  out  of 
the  common  course.  Neither  do  I  think  he  was 
accustomed  to  "let  himself  down  too  much;"  for  ac- 
cording to  my  radical  ideas,  a  man  cannot  "let  him- 
self down,"  who  "  associates  only  with  those  whose 
moral  characters  are  unimpeachable."  It  is  true 
that  he  was  pleasant  and  playful  in  conversation 
with  all  classes  of  people ;  but  he  was  remarkably 
free  from  any  tinge  of  vulgarity.  It  is  true,  also, 
that  he  was  totally  and  entirely  unconscious  of  any 
such  thing  as  distinctions  of  rank.  I  have  been 
acquainted  with  many  theoretical  democrats,  and 
writh  not  a  few  who  tried  to  be  democratic,  from 
kind  feelings  and  principles  of  justice ;  but  Friend 
Hopper  and  Francis  Jackson  of  Boston  are  the  only 
two  men  I  ever  met,  who  were  born  democrats  ;  who 
could  not  help  it,  if  they  tried  ;  and  who  would  not 
know  how  to  try  ;  so  completely  did  they,  by  nature, 
ignore  all  artificial  distinctions.  Of  course,  I  do  not 
use  the  word  democrat  in  its  limited  party  sense , 
but  to  express  their  perfect  unconsciousness  that  any 
man  was  considered  to  be  above  them,  or  any  man 
beneath  them.  If  Friend  Hopper  encountered  his 
wood-sawyer,  after  a  considerable  absence,  he  would 
shake  hands  warmly,  and  give  him  a  cordial  wel- 
come. If  the  English  Prince  had  called  upon  him, 


340  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

he  would  have  met  with  the  same  friendly  reception, 
and  would  probably  have  been  accosted  something 
after  this  fashion:  "How  art  thou,  friend  Albert? 
They  tell  me  thou  art  amiable  and  kindly  disposed 
toward  the  people ;  and  I  am  glad  to  see  thee." 
Those  who  observe  the  parting  advice  given  by 
Isaac's  mother,  when  he  went  to  serve  his  appren- 
ticeship in  Philadelphia,  will  easily  infer  that  this 
peculiarity  was  hereditary.  Some  men,  who  rise 
above  their  original  position,  either  in  character  or 
fortune,  endeavor  to  conceal  their  early  history. 
Others  obtrude  it  upon  all  occasions,  in  order  to 
magnify  themselves  by  a  contrast  between  what 
they  have  been  and  what  they  are.  But  he  did 
neither  the  one  nor  the  other.  The  subject  did  not 
occupy  his  thoughts.  He  spoke  of  having  been  a 
tailor,  whenever  it  came  naturally  in  his  way,  but 
never  for  the  sake  of  doing  so.  His  having  been 
born  in  a  hen-house  was  a  mere  external  accident  in 
his  eyes ;  and  in  the  same  light  he  regarded  the  fact 
that  Victoria  \vas  born  in  a  palace.  What  was  the 
spiritual  condition  of  the  two  at  any  given  age, 
was  the  only  thing  that  seemed  to  him  of  real  im- 
portance. 

His  steadfastness  in  maintaining  moral  principles, 
"however  unpopular  those  principles  might  be,"  was 
severely  tried  in  the  autumn  of  1838.  At  a  late 
hour  in  the  night,  two  colored  men  came  to  his  house, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC   T.    HOPPER.  341 

and  one  introduced  the  other  as  a  stranger  in  the 
city,  who  had  need  of  a  lodging.  Friend  Hopper  of 
course  conjectured  that  he  might  be  a  fugitive  slave  ; 
and  this  conjecture  was  confirmed  the  next  morning. 
The  stranger  was  a  mulatto,  about  twenty-two  years 
old,  and  called  himself  Thomas  Hughes.  According 
to  his  own  account,  he  was  the  son  of  a  wealthy 
planter  in  Virginia,  who  sold  his  mother  with  him- 
self and  his  twin  sister  when  they  were  eleven 
months  old.  His  mother  and  sister  were  subse- 
quently sold,"  but  he  could  never  ascertain  where 
they  were  sent.  When  he  was  about  thirteen,  he 
was  purchased  by  the  son  of  his  first  master.  Being 
hardly  dealt  with  by  this  relative,  he  one  day  re- 
monstrated with  him  for  treating  his  own  brother 
with  so  much  severity.  This  was,  of  course,  deemed 
a  great  piece  of  insolence  in  a  bondman,  and  he  was 
punished  by  being  sold  to  a  speculator,  carried  off 
hand-cuffed,  with  his  feet  tied  under  the  horse's 
belly,  and  finally  shipped  for  Louisiana  with  a  coffle 
of  five  hundred  slaves.  He  was  bought  by  a  gam- 
bler, who  took  him  to  Louisville,  Kentucky.  Wheu 
he  had  lived  there  three  years,  his  master,  having 
lost  large  sums  of  money,  told  him  he  should  be 
obliged  to  sell  him.  Thomas  had  meanwhile  ascer- 
tained that  his  father  had  removed  to  Kentucky,  and 
was  still  a  very  wealthy  man.  He  obtained  per- 
mission to  go  and  see  him,  with  the  hope  that  he 


342  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

would  purchase  him  and  set  him  free.  Accordingly, 
he  called  upon  him,  and  told  him  that  he  was  Tho- 
mas, the  son  of  his  slave  Rachel,  who  had  always 
assured  him  that  he  was  his  father.  The  rich 
planter  did  not  deny  poor  Rachel's  assertion,  but  in 
answer  to  her  son's  inquiries,  he  plainly  manifested 
that  he  neither  knew  nor  cared  who  had  bought  her, 
or  to  what  part  of  the  country  she  had  been  sent. 
Thomas  represented  his  own  miserable  condition,  in 
being  sold  from  one  to  another,  and  subject  to  the 
will  of  whoever  happened  to  be  his  owner.  He  in- 
treated  his  father  to  purchase  him,  with  a  view  to 
manumission ;  but  himself  and  his  proposition  were 
both  treated  writh  supreme  contempt.  Thus  rejected 
by  his  father,  and  unable  to  discover  any  traces  of 
his  mother,  he  returned  disheartened  to  Louisville, 
and  was  soon  after  sent  to  New-Orleans  to  be  sold. 
Mr.  John  P.  Darg,  a  speculator  in  slaves,  bought 
him;  and  he  soon  after  married  a  girl  named  Mary, 
who  belonged  to  his  new  master.  Mr.  Darg  went  to 
New- York,  to  visit  some  relatives,  and  took  Thomas 
with  him.  It  was  only  a  few  days  after  their  arrival 
in  the  city,  that  the  slave  left  him,  and  went  to  Isaac 
T.  Hopper  to  ask  a  lodging.  When  he  acknow- 
ledged that  he  was  a  fugitive,  intending  to  take 
refuge  in  Canada,  it  was  deemed  imprudent  for  him 
to  remain  under  the  roof  of  a  person  so  widely 
known  as  an  abolitionist ;  but  a  very  benevolent  and 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  343 

intelligent  Quaker  lady,  near  eighty  years  old,  named 
Margaret  Shoemaker,  gladly  gave  him  shelter. 

When  Friend  Hopper  went  to  his  place  of  busi- 
ness, after  parting  with  the  colored  stranger,  he  saw 
an  advertisement  in  a  newspaper  called  the  Sun,  of- 
fering one  thousand  dollars  reward  for  the  apprehen- 
sion and  return  of  a  mulatto  man,  who  had  stolen 
seven  or  eight  thousand  dollars  from  a  house  in  Va- 
rick-street.  A  proportionate  reward  was  offered  for 
the  recovery  of  any  part  of  the  money.  Though  no 
names  were  mentioned,  he  had  reason  to  conjecture 
that  Thomas  Hughes  might  be  the  mulatto  in  ques- 
tion. He  accordingly  sought  him  out,  read  the  ad- 
vertisement to  him,  and  inquired  whether  he  had  sto- 
len anything  from  his  master.  He  denied  having 
committed  any  theft,  and  said  the  pretence  that  he 
had  done  so  was  a  mere  trick,  often  resorted  to  by 
slaveholders,  when  they  wanted  to  catch  a  runaway 
slave.  That  this  remark  was  true,  Friend  Hopper 
knew  very  well  by  his  own  experience ;  he  therefore 
concluded  it  was  likely  that  Thomas  was  not  guilty. 
He  expressed  this  conviction  in  conversation  on  the 
subject  with  Barney  Corse,  a  benevolent  member 
of  the  Society  of  Friends,  who  was  kindly  disposed 
toward  the  colored  people.  In  compliance  with 
Friend  Hopper's  request,  that  gentleman  waited  up- 
on the  editor  of  the  Sun,  accompanied  by  a  lawyer, 
and  was  assured  that  a  large  amount  :>f  money  real- 


344  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

]y  had  been  stolen  from  Mr.  Darg,  and  that  if  he 
could  recover  it,  he  was  willing  to  give  a  pledge  for 
the  manumission  of  the  slave,  beside  paying  the  pro- 
mised reward  \o  whoever  would  enable  him  to  get 
possession  of  the  money.  Barney  Corse  called  up- 
on Mr.  Darg,  who  promptly  confirmed  the  state- 
ment made  by  the  editor  in  his  name.  The  Friend 
then  promised  that  he,  and  others  who  were  inter- 
ested for  the  slave,  would  do  their  utmost  to  obtain 
tidings  of  the  money,  and  see  it  safely  restored,  on 
those  conditions  ;  but  he  expressly  stipulated  that 
he  could  not  do  it  otherwise,  because  he  had  consci- 
entious scruples,  which  would  prevent  him,  in  all 
cases,  from  helping  to  return  a  fugitive  slave  to  his 
master. 

It  is  to  be  observed  that  the  promise  of  manumis- 
sion was  given  as  the  highest  bribe  that  could  be 
offered  to  induce  the  slave  to  refund  the  money  he 
had  taken ;  for  though  in  argument  slaveholders 
generally  maintain  that  their  slaves  have  no  desire 
for  freedom,  they  are  never  known  to  act  upon  that 
supposition.  In  this  case,  the  offer  served  a  double 
purpose ;  for  it  stimulated  the  benevolent  zeal  of 
Friend  Hopper  and  Barney  Corse,  and  induced  the 
fugitive  to  confess  what  he  had  done.  He  still  denied 
that  he  had  any  intention  of  stealing,  but  declared 
that  he  took  the  money  merely  to  obtain  power  over 
his  master,  hoping  that  the  promise  to  restore  it 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  345 

would  secure  his  manumission.  It  is  impossible  to 
tell  whether  he  spoke  truth  or  not ;  for  poor  Thomas 
had  been  educated  in  a  bad  school  of  morals.  Sold 
by  his  father,  abused  by  his  brother,  and  for  years 
compelled  to  do  the  bidding  of  gamblers  and  slave- 
speculators,  how  could  he  be  expected  to  have  very 
clear  perceptions  of  right  and  wrong  ?  The  circum- 
stances of  the  case,  however,  seem  to  render  it  ra- 
ther probable  that  he  really  was  impelled  by  the  mo- 
tive which  he  assigned  for  his  conduct.  Mr.  Darg 
declared  that  he  had  previously  considered  him  an 
honest  and  faithful  servant ;  that  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  trusting  him  with  the  key  of  his  trunk,  and  fre- 
quently sent  him  to  it  for  money.  The  bank-bills 
he  had  purloined  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  two 
colored  men  in  New-York,  because,  as  he  said,  he 
could  not  return  them  himself,  but  must  necessarily 
employ  somebody  to  do  it  for  him,  in  the  intended 
process  of  negotiating  for  his  freedom. 

Friend  Hopper,  his  son-in-law  James  S.  Gibbons, 
and  Barney  Corse,  were  very  earnest  to  recover  the 
money,  for  the  best  of  reasons.  In  the  first  place, 
they  greatly  desired  to  secure  the  manumission  of 
the  slave.  In  the  second  place,  the  honesty  of  their 
characters  led  them  to  wish  that  the  master  should 
recover  what  was  his  own.  In  both  instances,  they 
wished  to  restore  stolen  property  to  the  rightful 

owner ;  to  Thomas  Hughes  the  free  use  of  his  own 
15* 


346          LIFE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 

faculties  and  limbs,  which  had  been  stolen  from  him, 
and  to  Mr.  Darg  the  money  that  had  been  purloined 
from  him.  It  is  not  likely  that  the  Southerner  would 
have  ever  regained  any  portion  of  the  amount  sto- 
len, had  it  not  been  for  their  exertions.  But,  by 
careful  and  judicious  management,  they  soon  re- 
covered nearly  six  thousand  dollars,  which  was  im- 
mediately placed  in  one  of  the  principal  banks  of  the 
city,  with  a  full  statement  of  the  circumstances  of 
the  case  to  the  cashier.  Over  one  thousand  more 
was  heard  of  as  having  been  deposited  with  a  colored 
man  in  Albany.  Friend  Hopper  proposed  that  Bar- 
ney Corse  should  go  in  pursuit  of  it,  accompanied 
by  the  colored  man  who  sent  it  there.  He  agreed  to 
do  so  ;  but  he  deemed  it  prudent  to  have  a  previous 
interview  with  Mr.  Darg,  to  obtain  his  written  pro- 
mise to  manumit  Thomas,  to  pay  the  necessary  ex- 
penses of  the  journey,  and  to  exonerate  from  crimi- 
nal prosecution  any  person  or  persons  connected 
with  the  robbery,  provided  that  assurance  proved 
necessary  in  order  to  get  possession  of  the  money. 
All  this  being  satisfactorily  accomplished,  he  went  to 
Albany  and  brought  back  the  sum  said  to  have  been 
deposited  there.  Ten  or  fourteen  hundred  dollars 
were  still  wanting  to  complete  the  amount,  which 
Mr.  Darg  said  he  had  lost ;  but  they  had  hopes  oi 
obtaining  that  also,  by  confronting  various  individu- 
als, who  had  become  involved  with  this  complicated 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  347 

affair.  Meanwhile,  Barney  Corse  and  James  S. 
Gibbons  called  upon  Mr.  Darg  to  inform  him  of  the 
amount  recovered  and  safely  deposited  in  the  bank, 
and  to  pay  him  the  sum  brought  from  Albany.  In- 
stead of  giving  the  deed  of  manumission,  which  had 
been  his  own  voluntary  offer  at  the  outset,  and  which 
he  knew  had  been  the  impelling  motive  to  exertion, 
Mr.  Darg  had  two  police-officers  in  an  adjoining 
room  to  arrest  Barney  Corse  for  having  stolen  money 
in  his  possession.  He  was  of  course  astonished  at 
such  an  ungrateful  return  for  his  services,  but  at 
once  expressed  his  readiness  to  go  before  any  magis- 
trate that  might  be  named. 

It  would  not  be  easy  to  give  an  adequate  idea  of 
the  storm  of  persecution  that  followed.  Popular 
prejudice  against  abolitionists  was  then  raging  with 
uncommon  fury ;  and  police-officers  and  editors 
availed  themselves  of  it  to  the  utmost  to  excite  hos- 
tility against  individuals,  who  had  been  actuated  by 
a  kind  motive,  and  who  had  proceeded  with  perfect 
openness  throughout  the  whole  affair.  The  newspa- 
pers of  the  city  were  pro-slavery,  almost  without  ex- 
ception. The  idea  of  sending  abolitionists  to  the 
State  Prison  was  a  glorious  prospect,  over  which 
they  exulted  mightily.  They  represented  that  Tho- 
mas had  been  enticed  from  his  master  by  these  pre- 
tended philanthropists,  who  had  advised  him  to  steal 
the  money,  as  a  cunning  mode  of  obtaining  manu- 


348 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 


mission.  As  for  the  accused,  all  they  asked  was  a 
speedy  and  thorough  investigation  of  their  conduct. 
The  case  was  however  postponed  from  week  to 
week,  and  offers  were  made  meanwhile  to  compro- 
mise the  matter,  if  Barney  Corse  would  pay  the  bal- 
ance of  the  lost  money.  He  had  wealthy  connex- 
ions, and  perhaps  the  prosecutors  hoped  to  extort 
money  from  them,  to  avoid  the  disgrace  of  a  trial. 
But  Barney  Corse  was  far  from  wishing  to  avoid  a 
trial. 

At  this  juncture  of  affairs,  Friend  Hopper  took  a 
step,  which  raised  a  great  clamor  among  his  ene- 
mies, and  puzzled  some  of  his  friends  at  the  time, 
because  they  did  not  understand  his  motives.  He 
sued  Mr.  Darg  for  the  promised  reward  of  one  thou- 
sand dollars.  He  had  several  reasons  for  this  pro- 
ceeding. In  the  first  place,  the  newspapers  continu- 
ally pointed  him  out  as  a  man  over  whose  head  a  cri- 
minal prosecution  was  pending ;  while  he  had  at  the 
same  time  had  good  reason  to  believe  that  his  accusers 
would  never  venture  to  meet  him  before  a  court  of 
justice ;  and  a  proper  regard  for  his  own  character 
made  him  resolved  to  obtain  a  legal  investigation  of 
his  conduct  by  some  process.  In  the  second  place 
Mr.  Darg  had  subjected  Barney  Corse  to  a  grea 
deal  of  trouble  and  expense ;  and  Friend  Hopper 
thought  it  no  more  than  fair  that  expenses  caused  by 
his  own  treachery  should  be  paid  from  his  own  pock- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  349 

et.  In  the  third  place,  David  Ruggles,  a  worthy 
colored  man,  no  way  implicated  in  the  transaction, 
had  been  arrested,  and  was  likely  to  be  involved  in 
expense.  In  the  fourth  place,  the  police  officers, 
who  advised  the  arrest  of  Barney  Corse,  made  them- 
selves very  conspicuous  in  the  persecution.  He  be- 
lieved they  had  been  actuated  by  a  desire  to  obtain 
the  reward  for  themselves  ;  and  as  they  had  no  just 
claim  to  it,  he  determined  to  defeat  them  in  this  at- 
tempt. He  therefore  sued  for  the  reward  himself, 
though  he  never  intended  to  use  a  dollar  of  it.  This 
was  manifested  at  the  time,  by  a  declaration  in  the 
newspapers,  that  if  he  recovered  the  reward,  he 
would  give  all  over  the  expenses  to  some  benevolent 
society.  It  was  frequently  intimated  to  him  that 
there  should  be  no  further  proceedings  against  him, 
if  he  would  withdraw  this  suit ;  but  he  constantly 
replied  that  a  trial  was  what  he  wanted.  Finding 
all  overtures  rejected,  a  complaint  was  laid  before 
the  Grand  Jury ;  and  such  was  the  state  of  popular 
prejudice,  that  twelve  out  of  nineteen  of  that  body 
concurred  in  finding  a  bill  against  men  of  excellent 
moral  character,  without  any  real  evidence  to  sus- 
tain the  charge.  Barney  Corse  had  never  taken 
measures  to  prevent  the  arrest  of  Thomas  Hughes. 
He  simply  declined  to  render  any  assistance.  He 
believed  that  he  was  under  no  legal  obligation  to  do 
otherwise  ;  and  he  knew  for  a  certainty  that  he  was 


350  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

under  no  moral  obligation ;  because  conscience  would 
not  allow  him  to  aid  in  returning  a  runaway  slave  to 
his  master.  Nevertheless,  he  and  Isaac  T.  Hopper, 
and  James  S.  Gibbons,  were  indicted  for  "felonious- 
ly receiving,  harboring,  aiding  and  maintaining  said 
Thomas,  in  order  that  he  might  escape  from  arrest, 
and  avoid  conviction  and  punishment."  Friend 
Hopper  was  advised- that  he  might  avail  himself  of 
some  technical  defects  in  the  indictment ;  but  he  de- 
clined doing  it ;  always  insisting  that  a  public  inves- 
tigation was  what  he  wanted. 

The  trial  was  carried  on  in  the  same  spirit  that 
characterized  the  previous  proceedings.  A  colored 
man,  known  to  have  had  dishonest  possession  of  a 
portion  of  the  lost  money,  was  admitted  to  testify, 
on  two  successive  trials,  against  Barney  Corse,  who 
had  always  sustained  a  fair  character.  The  District 
Attorney  talked  to  the  jury  of  "the  necessity  of  ap- 
peasing the  South."  As  if  convicting  an  honest  and 
kind-hearted  Quaker  of  being  accomplice  in  a  felony 
could  do  anything  toward  settling  the  questions  that 
divided  North  and  South  on  the  subject  of  slavery  ! 
One  of  the  jury  declared  that  he  never  would  acquit 
an  abolitionist.  Mr.  Darg  testified  of  himself  dur- 
ing the  trial,  that  he  never  intended  to  manumit 
Thomas,  and  had  made  the  promise  merely  as  a 
means  of  obtaining  his  money.  The  newspapers 
spoke  as  if  the  guilt  of  the  accused  was  not  to  be 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  351 

doubted,  and  informed  the  jury  that  the  public  ex- 
pected them  to  convict  these  men. 

In  fact,  the  storm  lowered  so  darkly,  that  some 
friends  of  the  persecuted  individuals  began  to  feel 
uneasy.  But  Friend  Hopper's  mind  was  perfectly 
undisturbed.  Highly  respectable  lawyers  offered  to 
conduct  the  cause  for  him  ;  but  he  gratefully  declin- 
ed, saying  he  preferred  to  manage  it  for  himself. 
He  informed  the  court  that  he  presumed  they  under- 
stood the  law,  and  he  was  quite  sure  that  he  under- 
stood the  facts  ;  therefore,  he  saw  no  need  of  a  law- 
yer between  them.  The  Court  of  Sessions  was  held 
every  month,  and  he  appeared  before  it  at  almost 
every  term,  to  demand  a  trial.  At  last,  in  January 
1840,  when  the  hearing  had  been  delayed  fifteen 
months,  he  gave  notice  that  unless  he  was  tried  dur- 
ing that  term,  he  should  appear  on  the  last  day  of  it, 
and  request  that  a  nolle  prosequi  should  be  ordered. 
The  trial  not  coming  on,  he  appeared  accordingly, 
and  made  a  very  animated  speech,  in  which  he  dwelt 
with  deserved  severity  on  the  evils  of  the  police 
system,  and  on  the  efforts  of  a  corrupt  press  to  per- 
vert the  public  mind.  He  said  he  did  not  make 
these  remarks  to  excite  sympathy.  He  was  not 
there  to  ask  for  mercy,  but  to  demand  justice. 
"  And  I  would  have  you  all  to  understand  distinct- 
ly," continued  the  brave  old  man,  "that  I  have  no 
wish  to  evade  the  charge  against  me  for  being  an 


352  LIFE    OF   ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

abolitionist.  I  am  an  abolitionist.  In  that,  I  am 
charged  truly.  I  have  been  an  abolitionist  from  my 
early  years,  and  I  always  expect  to  remain  so.  For 
this,  I  am  prosecuted  and  persecuted.  I  most  sin- 
cerely believe  that  slavery  is  the  greatest  sin  the 
Lord  Almighty  ever  suffered  to  exist  upon  this  earth. 
As  sure  as  God  is  good  and  just,  he  will  put  an  end 
to  it ;  and  all  opposition  will  be  in  vain.  As  regards 
myself,  I  can  only  say,  that  having  lived  three-score 
and  nearly  ten  years,  with  a  character  that  placed 
me  above  suspicion  in  such  matters  as  have  been 
urged  against  me,  I  cannot  now  forego  the  principles 
which  have  always  influenced  my  conduct  in  relation 
to  slavery.  Neither  force  on  the  one  hand,  nor  per- 
suasion on  the  other,  will  ever  alter  my  coarse  of 
action." 

One  of  the  New- York  papers,  commenting  on 
this  speech,  at  the  time,  states  that  "the  old  gentle- 
man was  listened  to  very  attentively.  He  was  com- 
posed, dignified,  and  clear  in  his  manner,  and  evi- 
dently had  much  effect  on  the  court  and  a  large 
number  of  spectators.  He  certainly  needed  no  coun- 
sel to  aid  him." 

The  court  ordered  a  nolle  prosequi  to  be  entered, 
and  the  defendants  were  all  discharged.  The  suit 
for  the  reward  proceeded  no  further.  David  Ruggles 
had  been  early  discharged,  and  the  whole  case  had 
been  completely  before  the  public  in  pamphlet  form  ; 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  353 

therefore  the  principal  objects  for  urging  it  no  longer 
existed. 

Though  the  friends  of  human  freedom  made  rea- 
sonable allowance  for  a  man  brought  up  under  such 
demoralizing  influences  as  Thomas  Hughes  had  been, 
they  of  course  felt  less  confidence  in  him,  than  they 
would  have  done  had  he  sought  to  obtain  liberty  by 
some  more  commendable  process.  Being  aware  of 
this,  he  returned  to  his  master,  not  long  after  he 
acknowledged  the  theft.  At  one  time,  it  was  pro- 
posed to  send  him  back  to  the  South  ;  but  he  swore 
that  he  would  cut  his  throat  rather  than  return  into 
slavery.  The  best  lawyers  declared  their  opinion 
that  he  was  legally  entitled  to  freedom,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  master's  written  promise  to  manumit 
him  if  the  money  were  restored ;  consequently  some 
difficulties  would  have  attended  any  attempt  to 
coerce  him.  He  was  tried  on  an  indictment  for 
grand  larceny,  convicted,  and  sentenced  to  the  State 
Prison  for  two  years  ;  the  shortest  term  allowed  for 
the  offence  charged  against  him.  Through  the 
whole  course  of  the  affair,  he  proved  himself  to  be  a 
very  irresolute  and  unreliable  character.  At  one 
time,  he  said  that  his  master  was  a  notorious  gam- 
bler ;  then  he  denied  that  he  ever  said  so  ;  then  he 
affirmed  that  his  first  statement  was  true,  though  he 
had  been  frightened  into  contradicting  it.  When  his 
time  was  out  at  Sing  Sing,  he  expressed  to  Friend 


354  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HgPPER. 

Hopper  and  others  his  determination  to  remain  at 
the  North ;  but  after  an  interview  with  Mr.  Darg,  he 
consented  to  return  to  the  South  with  him.  Al- 
though he  was  thus  wavering  in  character,  he  could 
never  be  persuaded  to  say  that  any  abolitionist  ad- 
vised him  to  take  his  master's  money.  He  always 
declared  that  no  white  man  knew  anything  about 
it,  until  after  he  had  placed  it  out  of  his  own  hands ; 
and  that  the  friends  who  were  willing  to  aid  him  in 
procuring  his  manumission  had  always  expressed 
their  regret  that  he  had  committed  such  a  wrong 
action.  He  deserved  praise  for  his  consistency  on 
this  point ;  for  he  had  the  offer  of  being  exempted 
from  prosecution  himself,  and  used  as  a  witness, 
if  he  would  say  they  advised  him  to  steal  the  mo- 
ney. 

When  Thomas  Hughes  consented  to  return  to  the 
South  with  Mr.  Darg,  it  was  with  the  full  under- 
standing that  he  went  as  a  free  man,  consenting  to 
be  his  servant.  This  he  expressed  during  his  last 
interview  with  Friend  Hopper,  in  Mr.  Darg's  pre- 
sence. But  the  newspapers  represented  that  he  had 
voluntarily  gone  back  into  slavery ;  and  such  was 
their  exultation  over  his  supposed  choice,  that  a  per- 
son unacquainted  with  the  history  of  our  republic 
might  have  inferred  that  the  heroes  of  the  revolution 
fought  and  died  mainly  for  the  purpose  of  convincing 
their  posterity  of  the  superior  advantages  of  slavery 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  355 

over  freedom.  However,  it  was  not  long  before 
Thomas  returned  to  New- York,  and  told  the  follow- 
ing story :  "  A  short  time  before  my  release  from 
prison,  Mr.  Darg  brought  my  wife  to  see  me,  and 
told  me  we  should  both  be  free  and  enjoy  each  other's 
society  as  long  as  we  lived,  if  I  would  go  with  him. 
He  said  I  should  suffer  here  at  the  North ;  for  the 
abolitionists  would  do  nothing  for  me.  I  went  with 
him  solely  with  the  hope  of  living  with  Mary.  1 
thought  if  he  attempted  to  hold  me  as  a  slave,  we 
would  both  run  away,  the  first  opportunity.  He  told 
me  we  should  meet  Mary  in  Washington  ;  but  when 
we  arrived  in  Baltimore,  he  shut  me  up  in  jail,  and 
told  me  Mary  was  sold,  and  carried  off  South.  I 
cannot  describe  how  I  felt.  I  never  expect  to  see 
her  again.  He  asked  me  if  I  consented  to  come 
with  him  on  Mary's  account,  or  on  his  own  account. 
I  thought  it  would  make  it  better  for  me  to  say  on 
his  account ;  and  I  said  so.  I  hope  the  Lord  will 
forgive  me  for  telling  a  falsehood.  When  I  had 
been  in  jail  some  time,  he  called  to  see  me,  and  said 
that  as  I  did  not  come  with  him  on  account  of  my 
wife,  he  would  not  sell  me ;  that  I  should  be  free, 
and  he  would  try  to  buy  Mary  for  me." 

Thomas  said  he  was  informed  that  certain  people 
in  New- York  wrote  to  Mr.  Darg,  advising  him  not  to 
sell  him,  because  the  abolitionists  predicted  that  he 
would  do  so  ;  and  he  thought  that  was  the  reason 


356  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

why  he  was  not  sold.  If  this  supposition  was  correct, 
it  is  a  great  pity  that  his  master  was  not  induced  by 
some  better  motive  to  avoid  an  evil  action.  Thomas 
uniformly  spoke  of  Mrs.  Darg  with  respect  and 
gratitude.  He  said,  "  She  was  always  very  kind  to 
me  and  Mary.  I  know  she  did  not  want  to  have 
me  sold,  or  to  have  Mary  sold ;  for  I  believe  she 
loved  her.  I  feel  very  sorry  that  I  could  not  live 
with  her  and  be  free ;  but  I  had  rather  live  in  the 
State  Prison  all  my  life  than  to  be  a  slave." 

I  never  heard  what  became  of  Thomas.  Friend 
Shoemaker  used  to  tell  me,  years  afterward,  how  she 
secreted  him,  and  rejoiced  in  the  deed.  I  heard  the 
good  lady,  when  more  than  ninety  years  old,  just  before 
her  death,  talk  the  matter  over  ;  and  her  kindly,  in- 
telligent countenance  smiled  all  over,  as  she  recount- 
ed how  she  had  contrived  to  dodge  the  police,  and 
avoid  being  a  witness  in  the  case.  The  Fugitive 
Slave  Law  would  be  of  no  avail  to  tyrants,  if  all  the 
women  at  the  North  had  as  much  moral  courage,  and 
were  as  benevolent  and  quick-witted  as  she  was. 

Those  who  were  most  active  in  persecuting  Friend 
Hopper  and  Barney  Corse  convinced  the  public,  by 
their  subsequent  disreputable  career,  that  they  were 
not  men  whose  word  could  be  relied  upon. 

Dr.  R.  W.  Moore,  of  Philadelphia,  in  a  letter  to 
Friend  Hopper  concerning  this  troublesome  case, 
says  •  "I  am  aware  thou  hast  passed  through  many 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  357 

trials  in  the  prosecution  of  this  matter.  Condemned 
by  the  world,  censured  by  some  of  thy  friends,  and 
discouraged  by  the  weak,  thou  hast  had  much  to 
bear.  But  thou  hast  been  able  to  foil  thy  enemies, 
and  to  pass  through  the  flames  without  the  smell  of 
fire  on  thy  garments.  Thy  Christian  firmness  is  an 
example  to  us  all.  It  reminds  one  of  those  ancient 
Quakers,  who,  knowing  themselves  in  the  right,  suf- 
fered wrongs  rather  than  compromise  their  princi- 
ples. For  the  sake  of  mankind,  I  am  sorry  there 
are  not  more  such  characters  among  us.  They 
would  do  more  to  exalt  our  principles,  than  a  host  of 
the  professors  of  the  present  day." 

A  year  or  two  later,  another  incident  occurred, 
which  excited  similar  exultation  among  New- York 
editors,  that  a  human  being  had  been  so  wise  as  to 
prefer  slavery  to  freedom ;  and  there  was  about  as 
much  cause  for  such  exultation  as  there  had  been  in 
the  case  of  Thomas  Hughes. 

Mrs.  Burke  of  New-Orleans  went  to  New- York  to 
visit  a  relative  by  the  name  of  Morgan.  She  brought 
a  slave  to  attend  upon  her,  and  took  great  care  to 
prevent  her  becoming  acquainted  with  the  colored 
people.  I  don't  know  how  city  editors  would  ac- 
count for  this  extreme  caution,  consistently  with 
their  ideas"  of  the  blessedness  of  slavery.  They 
might  argue  that  there  was  danger  free  colored  peo- 
ple would  be  so  attracted  by  her  charming  pictures 


358  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

of  bondage,  that  they  would  emigrate  to  the  South 
in  larger  numbers  than  would  supply  the  slave-mar- 
kets, and  thus  occasion  some  depression  in  an  honor- 
able branch  of  trade  in  this  republic.  However 
they  might  please  to  explain  it,  the  simple  fact  was, 
Mrs.  Burke  did  not  allow  her  slave  to  go  into  the 
street.  Of  course,  she  must  have  had  some  other 
motive  than  the  idea  that  freedom  could  be  attrac- 
tive to  her.  The  colored  people  became  aware  of  the 
careful  constraint  imposed  upon  the  woman,  and 
they  informed  the  abolitionists.  Thinking  it  right 
that  slaves  should  be  made  aware  of  their  legal 
claim  to  freedom,  when  brought  or  sent  into  the  free 
states,  with  knowledge  and  consent  of  their  mas- 
ters, they  applied  to  Judge  Oakley  for  a  writ  of  ha- 
beas corpus,  by  virtue  of  which  the  girl  was  brought 
before  him.  While  she  was  in  waiting,  Friend  Hop- 
per heard  of  the  circumstance,  and  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  the  court-room.  There  he  found  Mr. 
Morgan  and  one  of  his  southern  friends  talking  busi- 
ly with  the  slave.  The  woman  appeared  frightened 
and  undecided,  as  is  often  the  case,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances. Those  who  wished  her  to  return  to  the 
South  plied  her  with  fair  promises.  They  represent- 
ed abolitionists  as  a  set  of  kidnappers,  who  seized, 
colored  strangers  under  friendly  pretences,  and  no- 
body could  tell  what  became  of  them  afterward.  It 
was  urged  that  her  condition  would  be  most  misera- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  359 

ble  with  the  "free  niggers"  of  the  North,  even  if  the 
abolitionists  did  not  sell  her,  or  spirit  her  away  to 
some  unknown  region. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  colored  people,  who  had 
assembled  about  the  court-room,  were  very  eager  to 
*  escue  her  from  slavery.  She  did  not  understand 
|  heir  motives,  or  those  of  the  abolitionists  ;  for  they 
had  been  diligently  misrepresented  to  her.  "What 
do  they  want  to  do  it  for?"  she  asked,  with  a  per- 
plexed air.  "What  will  they  do  with  me?"  She 
was  afraid  there  was  some  selfish  motive  concealed. 
She  dared  not  trust  the  professions  of  strangers, 
whose  characters  had  been  so  unfavorably  represent- 
ed. Friend  Hopper  found  her  in  this  confused  state 
of  mind.  The  Southerner  was  very  willing  to  speak 
for  her.  He  gave  assurance  that  she  did  not  want 
her  freedom ;  that  she  desired  to  return  to  the 
South  ;  and  that  she  had  been  in  no  respect  distrain- 
ed of  her  liberty  in  the  city  of  New- York. 

"Thou  art  a  very  respectable  looking  man,"  said 
Friend  Hopper;  "but  I  have  known  slaveholders,  of 
even  more  genteel  appearance  than  thou  art,  tell 
gross  falsehoods  where  a  slave  was  in  question.  I 
tell  thee  plainly,  that  I  have  no  confidence  in  slave- 
holders, in  any  such  case.  I  have  had  too  much 
acquaintance  with  them.  I  know  their  game  too 
well." 

The  Southerner  said  something  about  its  being 


360  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

both  mean  and  wrong  to  come  between  master  and 
servant. 

"Such  may  be  thy  opinion,"  replied  Friend  Hop- 
per ;  "but  my  views  of  duty  differ  from  thine  in  this 
matter."  Then  turning  to  the  woman,  he  said,  "  By 
the  laws  here,  thou  art  free.  No  man  has  a  right  to 
make  thee  a  slave  again.  Thou  mayest  stay,at  the 
North,  or  go  back  to  New-Orleans,  just  as  thou 
choosest." 

The  Southerner  here  interposed  to  say,  "Mind 
what  that  old  gentleman  says.  You  can  go  back  to 
New-Orleans,  to  your  husband,  if  you  prefer  to  go." 

"  But  let  me  tell  thee,"  said  Friend  Hopper  to  the 
woman,  "that  if  thou  stayest  here,  thou  wilt  be 
free ;  but  if  they  carry  thee  back,  they  may  sell 
thee  away  from  thy  husband  Dost  thou  wish  to  be 
free  ?" 

The  tears  gushed  from  her  eyes  in  full  flood,  and 
she  replied  earnestly,  "I  do  want  to  be  free.  To  be 
sure  I  do  want  to  be  free ;  but  then  I  want  to  go  to 
my  husband." 

Mr.  Morgan  and  his  Southern  friend  grew  excited. 
With  an  angry  glance  at  the  old  gentleman,  the  lat- 
ter exclaimed,  "I  only  wish  we  had  you  in  New-Or- 
leans !  We'd  hang  you  up  in  twenty-four  hours." 

"  Then  you  are  a  set  of  savages,"  replied  Friend 
Hopper. 

"  You  are  a  set  of  thieves,"  retorted  he. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  361 

"  Well,  savages  may  be  thieves  also,"  rejoined  the 
abolitionist,  with  a  significant  smile. 

"  You  are  no  gentleman,"  responded  the  other,  in 
an  irritated  tone. 

"I  don't  profess  to  be  a  gentleman,"  answered  the 
impassive  Quaker.  "But  I  am  an  honest  old  man; 
and  perhaps  that  will  do  as  well." 

This  remark  occasioned  a  general  smile.  Indeed 
it  was  pleasant  to  observe,  throughout  this  scene  in 
the  court-room,  that  popular  sympathy  was  altogeth- 
er on  the  side  of  freedom.  It  was  a  strange  blind 
instinct  on  the  part  of  the  people,  considering  how 
diligently  they  had  been  instructed  otherwise  by  pul- 
pit and  press  ;  but  so  it  was. 

When  the  slave  was  summoned  into  the  judge's 
room,  Friend  Hopper  followed  ;  being  extremely  de- 
sirous to  have  her  understand  her  position  clearly. 
He  found  Mr.  Morgan  and  his  Southern  friend  in 
close  and  earnest  conversation  with  her.  When  he 
attempted  to  approach  her,  he  was  unceremoniously 
shoved  aside,  with  the  remark,  "Don't  push  me 
away !" 

"I  did  not  push  thee,"  said  Friend  Hopper;  "and 
see  that  thou  dost  not  push  me  /"  He  then  inquired 
of  the  woman  if  he  had  rightly  understood  that  her 
husband  was  free.  She  replied  in  the  affirmative. 
"Then  let  me  tell  thee,"  said  the  kind-hearted  old 

gentleman,  "  that  we  will  send  for  him,  and  obtain 
15 


362  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

employment  for  him  here,  if  it  is  thy  choice  to  re- 
main." 

Again  she  wept,  and  repeated,  "I  do  want  to  be 
free."  But  she  was  evidently  bewildered  and  dis- 
trustful, and  did  not  know  how  to  understand  the  op- 
posite professions  that  were  made  to  her. 

On  representation  of  the  claimant's  friends,  Judge 
Oakley  adjourned  the  case  till  the  next  morning ; 
telling  the  woman  she  was  at  liberty  to  go  with 
whom  she  pleased.  The  colored  people  had  assem- 
bled in  considerable  numbers,  and  were  a  good  deal 
excited.  Experience  led  them  to  suppose  that  she 
would  either  be  cajoled  into  consenting  to  return  to 
slavery,  or  else  secretly  packed  off  to  New-Orleans, 
if  she  were  left  in  Southern  hands.  They  accord- 
ingly made  haste  to  hustle  her  away.  But  their 
well-intended  zeal  terrified  the  poor  bewildered  crea- 
ture, and  she  escaped  from  them,  and  went  back  to 
her  mistress. 

The  pro-slavery  papers  chuckled,  as  they  always 
do,  when  some  poor  ignorant  victim  is  deceived  by 
false  representation,  alarmed  by  an  excitement  that 
she  does  not  comprehend,  afraid  that  strangers  are 
not  telling  her  the  truth,  or  that  they  have  not  the 
power  to  protect  her  ;  and  in  continual  terror  of  fu- 
ture punishment,  if  she  should  attempt  to  take  her 
freedom,  and  yet  be  unable  to  maintain  it.  Great  is 
the  triumph  of  republicans,  when,  under  such  trying 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  363 

circumstances,  one  poor  bewildered  wretch  goes  back 
to  slavery ;  but  of  the  hundreds,  who  every  month 
take  their  freedom,  through  fire  and  flood,  and  all 
manner  of  deadly  perils,  they  are  as  silent  as  the 
grave. 

In  the  spring  of  1841,  I  went  to  New- York  to 
edit  the  Anti-Slavery  Standard,  and  took  up  my 
abode  with  the  family  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper.  The 
zealous  theological  controversy  among  Friends  natu- 
rally subsided  after  the  separation  between  the  op- 
posing parties  had  become  an  old  and  settled  fact. 
Consequently  the  demand  for  Quaker  books  dimin- 
ished more  and  more.  The  Anti-Slavery  Society,  at 
that  time,  needed  a  Treasurer  and  Book-Agent ;  and 
Friend  Hopper  was  proposed  as  a  suitable  person  for 
that  office.  As  only  a  small  portion  of  his  time  was 
occupied  with  the  sale  of  books  he  had  on  hand,  he 
concluded  to  accept  the  proposition.  He  was  then 
nearly  seventy  years  old ;  but  he  appeared  at.  least 
twenty  years  younger,  in  person  and  manners.  His 
firm,  elastic  step  seemed  like  a  vigorous  man  of  fifty. 
He  would  spring  from  the  Bowery  cars,  while  they 
were  in  motion,  with  as  much  agility  as  a  lad  of 
fourteen.  His  hair  was  not  even  sprinkled  with 
gray.  It  looked  so  black  and  glossy,  that  a  young 
lady,  who  was  introduced  to  him,  said  she  thought 
he  wore  a  wig  unnaturally  dark  for  his  age.  It  was 
a  favorite  joke  of  his  to  make  strangers  believe  he 


364  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

wore  a  wig ;  and  they  were  not  easily  satisfied  that 
he  spoke  in  jest,  until  they  examined  his  head. 

The  roguery  of  his  boyhood  had  subsided  into  a 
love  of  little  mischievous  tricks ;  and  the  playful 
tone  of  humor,  that  rippled  through  his  conversation, 
frequently  reminded  me  of  the  Cheeryble  Brothers, 
so  admirably  described  by  Dickens.  If  some  one 
rang  at  the  door,  and  inquired  for  Mr.  Hopper,  he 
always  answered,  "There  is  no  such  person  lives 
here."  If  the  stranger  urged  that  he  had  been  di- 
rected by  a  man  who  said  he  knew  Mr.  Hopper,  he 
would  persevere  in  saying,  "There  must  be  some 
mistake.  No  such  person  lives  here."  At  last,  when 
the  disappointed  visitor  turned  to  go  away,  he  would 
call  out,  "Perhaps  thou  means  Isaac  T.  Hopper? 
That  is  my  name." 

Being  called  upon  to  give  a  receipt  to  a  Catholic 
priest  for  some  money  deposited  in  his  hands,  he 
simply  wrote  "Received  of  John  Smith."  When 
the  priest  had  read  it,  he  handed  it  back  and  said, 
"I  am  disbursing  other  people's  money,  and  shall  be 
obliged  to  show  this  receipt ;  therefore,  I  should  like 
to  have  you  write  my  name,  the  Reverend  John 
Smith."  "I  have  conscientious  scruples  about  using 
titles,"  replied  Friend  Hopper.  "However,  I  will 
try  to  oblige  thee."  He  took  another  slip  of  paper, 
and  wrote,  "Received  of  John  Smith,  who  calls 
himself  the  Reverend."  The  priest  smiled,  and  ae- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  365 

cepted  the  compromise ;  being  well  aware  that  the 
pleasantry  originated  in  no  personal  or  sectarian  pre- 
judice. 

He  always  had  something  facetious  to  say  to  the 
people  with  whom  he  traded.  The  oyster-men,  the 
coal-men,  and  the  women  at  the  fruit-stalls  in  his 
neighborhood,  all  knew  him  as  a  pleasant  old  gentle- 
man, always  ready  for  a  joke.  One  day,  when  he 
was  buying  some  peaches,  he  said  to  the  woman, 
"A  serious  accident  happened  at  our  house  last 
night.  I  killed  two  robbers."  "Dear  me  !"  she  ex- 
claimed. "Were  they  young  men,  or  old  convicts  ? 
Had  they  ever  been  in  Sing  Sing?"  "I  don't  know 
about  that,"  replied  he.  "I  should  think  they  might 
have  been  by  the  noise  they  made.  But  I  despatch- 
ed them  before  they  had  stolen  much.  The  walls 
are  quite  bloody."  ''Has  a  Coroner's  inquest  been 
called  ?"  inquired  the  woman.  When  he  answered, 
"No,"  she  lifted  her  hands  in  astonishment,  and  ex- 
claimed, "  Well  now,  I  do  declare  !  If  anybody  else 
had  done  it,  there  would  have  been  a  great  fuss 
made  about  it ;  but  you  are  a  privileged  man,  Mr. 
Hopper."  When  he  was  about  to  walk  away,  he 
turned  round  and  said,  "I  did  not  mention  to  thee 
that  the  robbers  I  killed  were  two  mosquitoes."  The 
woman  had  a  good  laugh,  and  he  came  home  as 
pleased  as  a  boy,  to  think  how  completely  his  seri- 
ous manner  had  deceived  her. 


366  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

One  day  he  went  to  a  hosiery  store,  and  said  to 
the  man,  "I  bought  a  pair  of  stockings  here  yester- 
day. They  looked  very  nice  ;  but  when  I  got  home, 
I  found  two  large  holes  in  them  j  and  I  have  come 
for  another  pair.  The  man  summoned  his  wife,  and 
informed  her  of  what  the  gentleman  had  said. 

"Bless  me  !     Is  it  possible,  sir  ?"  she  exclaimed. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Friend  Hopper,  I  found  they  had 
holes  as  large  as  my  hand." 

"It  is  very  strange,"  rejoined  she;  "for  I  am 
sure  they  were  new.  But  if  you  have  brought  them 
back,  of  course  we  will  change  them." 

"O,"  said  he,  "upon  examination,  I  concluded 
that  the  big  holes  were  made  to  put  the  feet  in  ;  and 
I  liked  the  stockings  so  well,  that  I  have  come  to 
buy  another  pair." 

At  another  time,  he  entered  a  crockery  shop, 
where  a  young  girl  was  tending.  He  made  up  a 
very  sorrowful  face,  and  in  whining  tones,  told  her 
that  he  was  in  trouble  and  needed  help.  She  asked 
him  to  wait  till  the  gentleman  came ;  but  he  contin- 
ued to  beseech  that  she  would  take  compassion  on 
him.  The  girl  began  to  be  frightened  by  his  impor- 
tunity, and  looked  anxiously  toward  the  door.  At 
last,  the  man  of  the  shop  came  in  ;  and  Friend  Hop- 
per said,  "This  young  woman  thinks  she  cannot 
help  me  out  of  my  trouble ;  but  I  think  she  can. 
The  fact  is,  we  are  going  to  have  company ,  and  so 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  367 

many  of  our  tumblers  are  broken,  that  I  came  to  ask 
if  she  would  sell  me  a  few." 

One  day,  when  he  was  walking  quickly  up  the 
Bowery,  his  foot  slipped  on  a  piece  of  orange-peel, 
and  he  fell  prostrate  on  the  sidewalk.  He  started  up 
instantly,  and  turning  to  a  young  man  behind  him, 
he  said,  " Couldst  thou  have  done  that  any  better?" 

He  very  often  mingled  with  affairs  in  the  street, 
as  he  passed  along.  One  day,  when  he  saw  a  man 
beating  his  horse  brutally,  he  stepped  up  to  him  and 
said,  very  seriously,  "Dost  thou  know  that  some 
people  think  men  change  into  animals  when  they 
die?" 

The  stranger's  attention  was  arrested  by  such  an 
unexpected  question,  and  he  answered  that  he  never 
was  acquainted  with  anybody  who  had  that  belief. 

"But  some  people  do  believe  it,"  rejoined  Friend 
Hopper;  "and  they  also  believe  that  animals  may 
become  men.  Now  I  am  thinking  if  thou  shouldst 
ever  be  a  horse,  and  that  horse  should  ever  be  a 
man,  with  such  a  temper  as  thine,  the  chance  is  thou 
wilt  get  some  cruel  beatings."  Having  thus  changed 
the  current  of  his  angry  mood,  he  proceeded  to  ex- 
postulate with  him  in  a  friendly  way  ;  and  the  poor 
beast  was  reprieved,  for  that  time,  at  least. 

He  could  imitate  the  Irish  brogue  very  perfectly  ; 
and  it  was  a  standing  jest  with  him  to  make  every 
Irish  stranger  believe  he  was  a  countryman.  During 


368  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

his  visit  to  Ireland,  he  had  become  so  well  acquaint- 
ed with  various  localities,  that  I  believe  he  never  in 
any  instance  failed  to  deceive  them,  when  he  said, 
"Och!  and  sure  I  came  from  old  Ireland  meself." 
After  amusing  himself  in  this  way  for  a  while,  he 
would  tell  them,  "It  is  true  I  did  come  from  Ireland ; 
but,  to  confess  the  truth,  I  went  there  first." 

Once,  when  he  saw  two  Irishmen  fighting,  he 
seized  one  of  them  by  the  arm,  and  said,  "  I'm  from 
ould  Ireland.  If  thou  must  fight,  I'm  the  man  for 
thee.  Thou  hadst  better  let  that  poor  fellow  alone. 
I'm  a  dale  stouter  than  he  is ;  and  sure  it  would  be 
braver  to  fight  me."  The  man  thus  accosted  looked 
at  him  with  surprise,  for  an  instant,  then  burst  out 
laughing,  threw  his  coat  across  his  arm,  and  walked 
off. 

Another  time,  when  he  found  two  Irishmen  quar- 
relling, he  stepped  up  and  inquired  what  was  the 
matter.  "He's  got  my  prayer-book,"  exclaimed  one 
of  them  ;  "and  I'll  give  him  a  bating  for  it ;  by  St. 
Patrick,  I  will."  "Let  me  give  thee  a  piece  of  ad- 
vice," said  Friend  Hopper.  "It's  a  very  hot  day, 
and  bating  is  warm  work.  I'm  thinking  thou  had'st 
better  put  it  off  till  the  cool  o'  the  morning."  The 
men,  of  course,  became  cooler  before  they  had  done 
listening  to  this  playful  remonstrance.  ' 

Once,  when  he  was  travelling  in  the  stage,  they 
passed  a  number  of  Irishmen  with  cart-loads  of 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  369 

stones,  to  mend  the  road.  Friend  Hopper  suggested 
to  the  driver  that  he  had  better  ask  them  to  remove 
a  very  large  stone,  which  lay  directly  in  the  way 
and  seemed  dangerous.  "It  will  be  of  no  use  if  I 
do,"  replied  the  driver.  "They'll  only  curse  me, 
and  tell  me  to  go  round  the  old  road,  over  the  hill ; 
for  the  fact  is,  this  road  is  not  fairly  opened  to  the 
public  yet."  Friend  Hopper  jumped  out,  and  asked 
if  they  would  turn  that  big  stone  aside.  "And  sure 
ye've  no  business  here  at  all,"  they  replied.  "Ye 
may  jist  go  round  by  the  ould  road."  "  Och  ! "  said 
Friend  Hopper,  "and  is  this  the  way  I'm  trated  by 
my  coontryman?  I'm  from  Ireland  meself;  and 
sure  I  did'nt  expect  to  be  trated  so  by  my  coontry 
men  in  a  strange  coontry." 

"And  are  ye  from  ould  Ireland?"  inquired  they. 

"Indade  I  am,"  he  replied. 

"And  what  part  may  ye  be  from?"  said  they. 

"From  Mount  Mellick,  Queen's  County,"  rejoined 
he  ;  and  he  began  to  talk  familiarly  about  the  priest 
and  the  doctor  there,  till  he  got  the  laborers  into  a 
real  good  humor,  and  they  removed  the  stone  with 
the  utmost  alacrity.  The  passengers  in  the  stage 
listened  to  this  conversation,  and  supposed  that  he 
was  in  reality  an  Irish  Quaker.  When  he  returned 
to  them  and  explained  the  joke,  they  had  a  hearty 
laugh  over  his  powers  of  mimicry. 

His  tricks  with  children  were  innumerable.     They 


370  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

would  often  be  lying  in  wait  for  him  in  the  street ; 
and  if  he  passed  without  noticing  them,  they  would 
sometimes  pull  at  the  skirts  of  his  coat,  to  obtain  the 
customary  attention.  Occasionally,  he  would  ob- 
serve a  little  troop  staring  at  him,  attracted  by  the 
singularity  of  his  costume.  Then,  he  would  stop, 
face  about,  stretch  out  his  leg,  and  say,  "  Come  now, 
boys !  Come,  and  take  a  good  look ! "  It  was  his 
delight  to  steal  up  behind  them,  and  tickle  their 
necks,  while  he  made  a  loud  squealing  noise.  The 
children,  supposing  some  animal  had  set  upon  them, 
would  jump  as  if  they  had  been  shot.  And  how  he 
would  laugh  !  When  he  met  a  boy  with  dirty  face 
or  hands,  he  would  stop  him,  and  inquire  if  he  ever 
studied  chemistry.  The  boy,  with  a  wondering 
stare,  would  answer,  "No."  "Well  then,  I  will 
teach  thee  how  to  perform  a  curious  chemical  ex- 
periment," said  Friend  Hopper.  "Go  home,  take  a 
piece  of  soap,  put  it  in  water,  and  rub  it  briskly  on 
thy  hands  and  face.  Thou  hast  no  idea  what  a 
beautiful  froth  it  will  make,  and  how  much  whiter 
thy  skin  will  be.  That's  a  chemical  experiment.  I 
advise  thee  to  try  it." 

The  character  of  his  wife  was  extremely  modest 
and  reserved ;  and  he  took  mischievous  pleasure  in 
telling  strangers  the  story  of  their  courtship  in  a  way 
that  made  her  blush.  "Dost  thou  know  what  Han- 
nah answered,  when  I  asked  if  she  would  marry 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  371 

me?"  said  he.  "I  will  tell  thee  how  it  was.  I 
was  walking-  home  with  her  one  evening,  soon  after 
the  death  of  her  mother,  and  I  mentioned  to  her  that 
as  she  was  alone  now,  I  supposed  she  intended  to 
make  some  change  in  her  mode  of  living.  When 
she  said  yes,  I  told  her  I  had  been  thinking  it  would 
be  very  pleasant  to  have  her  come  and  live  with  me. 
'That  would  suit  me  exactly,'  said  she.  This 
prompt  reply  made  me  suppose  she  might  not  have 
understood  my  meaning ;  and  I  explained  that  I 
wanted  to  have  her  become  a  member  of  my  family ; 
but  she  replied  again,  'There  is  nothing  I  should 
like  better.' " 

The  real  fact  was,  the  quiet  and  timid  Hannah 
Attmore  was  not  dreaming  of  such  a  thing  as  a  pro- 
posal of  marriage.  She  supposed  he  spoke  of  re- 
ceiving her  as  a  boarder  in  his  family.  When  she 
at  last  perceived  his  meaning,  she  slipped  her  arm 
out  of  his  very  quickly,  and  was  too  much  confused 
to  utter  a  word.  But  it  amused  him  to  represent 
that  she  seized  the  opportunity  the  moment  it  was 
offered. 

There  was  one  of  the  anti-slavery  agents  who  did 
everything  in  a  dashing,  wholesale  style,  and  was 
very  apt  to  give  peremptory  orders.  One  day  he 
wrote  a  letter  on  business,  to  which  the  following 
postscript  was  appended  :  "  Give  the  hands  at  your 
office  a  tremendous  blowing  up.  They  need  it." 


372  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Friend  Hopper  briefly  replied :  "According  to  thy 
orders,  I  have  given  the  hands  at  our  office  a  tre- 
mendous blowing  up.  They  want  to  know  what  it 
is  for.  Please  inform  me  by  return  of  mail." 

When  the  Prison  Association  of  New- York  pe- 
titioned to  be  incorporated,  he  went  to  Albany  on 
business  therewith  connected.  He  was  then  a  stran- 
ger at  the  seat  of  government,  though  they  after- 
ward came  to  know  him  wrelj.  When  he  was  seated 
in  the  senate-chamber,  a  man  came  to  him  and  told 
him  to  take  off  his  hat.  He  replied,  "I  had  rather 
not.  I  am  accustomed  to  keep  it  on." 

"But  it  is  contrary  to  the  rules,"  rejoined  the  offi- 
cer. "  I  am  ordered  to  turn  out  any  man  who  refu- 
ses to  uncover  his  head." 

The  Quaker  quietly  responded,  "Very  well,  friend, 
obey  thy  orders." 

"Then,  will  you  please  to  walk  out,  sir  ?"  said  the 
officer. 

"No,"  replied  Friend  Hopper.  "Didst  thou  not 
tell  me  thou  wert  ordered  to  turn  me  out?"  Dost 
thou  suppose  I  am  going  to  do  thy  duty  for  thee  ? " 

The  officer  looked  embarrassed,  and  said,  half 
smiling,  "  But  how  am  I  to  get  you  out  ? " 

"  Carry  me  out,  to  be  sure,"  rejoined  Friend  Hop- 
per. "  I  see  no  other  way." 

The  officer  went  and  whispered  to  the  Speaker, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  373 

who  glanced  at   the  noble-looking  old  gentleman, 
and  advised  that  he  should  be  let  alone. 

Sometimes  his  jests  conveyed  cutting  sarcasms. 
One  day,  when  he  was  riding  in  an  omnibus,  he 
opened  a  port-monnaie  lined  with  red.  A  man  with 
very  flaming  visage,  who  was  somewhat  intoxicated, 
and  therefore  very  much  inclined  to  be  talkative, 
said,  "Ah,  that  is  a  very  gay  pocket-book  for  a  Qua- 
ker to  carry." 

"Yes,  it  is  very  red,"  replied  Friend  Hopper; 
"but  is  not  so  red  as  thy  nose."  The  passengers  all 
smiled,  and  the  man  seized  the  first  opportunity  to 
make  his  escape. 

A  poor  woman  once  entered  an  omnibus,  which 
was  nearly  full,  and  stood  waiting  for  some  one  to> 
make  room.  A  proud-looking  lady  sat  near  Friend 
Hopper,  and  he  asked  her  to  move  a  little,  to  ac- 
commodate the  new  comer.  But  she  looked  very 
glum,  and  remained  motionless.  After  examining 
her  countenance  for  an  instant,  he  said,  "If  thy  face 
often  looks  so,  I  should  n't  like  to  have  thee  for  a 
neighbor."  The  passengers  exchanged  smiles  at  this 
rebuke,  and  the  lady  frowned  still  more  deeply. 

One  of  the  jury  in  the  Darg  case  was  "a  son  of 
Abraham,"  rather  conspicuous  for  his  prejudice 
against  colored  people.  Some  time  after  the  pro- 
ceedings were  dropped,  Friend  Hopper  happened  to 
meet  him,  and  entered  into  conversation  on  the  sub- 


374  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

ject.  The  Jew  was  very  bitter  against  "that  ras- 
cally thief,  Tom  Hughes."  "  It  does  not  become 
thee  to  be  so  very  severe,"  said  Friend  Hopper ;  "for 
thy  ancestors  were  slaves  in  Egypt,  and  went  off 
with  the  gold  and  silver  jewels  they  borrowed  of 
their  masters." 

One  day  he  met  several  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
whom  he  had  not  seen  for  some  time.  Among  them 
was  an  Orthodox  Friend,  who  was  rather  stiff  in  his 
manners.  The  others  shook  hands  with  Isaac ;  but 
when  he  approached  "the  Orthodox,"  he  merely 
held  out  his  finger. 

"Why  dost  thou  offer  me  thy  finger?"  said  he. 

"I  don't  allow  people  of  certain  principles  to  get 
^ery  deep  hold  of  me"  was  the  cold  reply. 

"Thou  needest  have  no  uneasiness  on  that  score," 
rejoined  Friend  Hopper ;  "for  there  never  was  any- 
thing deep  in  thee  to  get  hold  of.' 

The  sense  of  justice,  so  conspicuous  in  boyhood, 
always  remained  a  distinguishing  trait  in  his  charac- 
ter. Once,  after  riding  half  a  mile,  he  perceived 
that  he  had  got  into  the  wrong  omnibus.  When  he 
jumped  out,  the  driver  called  for  pay ;  but  he  an- 
swered, "I  don't  owe  thee  anything.  I've  been  car- 
ried the  wrong  way."  This  troubled  him  afterward, 
when  he  considered  that  he  had  used  the  carriage 
and  horses,  and  that  the  mistake  was  his  own  fault. 
He  kept  on  the  look-out  for  the  driver,  but  did  not 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  375 

happen  to  see  him  again,  until  several  weeks  after- 
ward. He  called  to  him  to  stop,  and  paid  the  six- 
pence. 

"Why,  you  refused  to  pay  me,  when  I  asked 
you,"  said  the  driver. 

"I  know  I  did,"  he  replied;  "but  I  repented  of  it 
afterward.  I  was  in  a  hurry  then,  and  I  did  not  re- 
flect that  the  mistake  was  my  fault,  not  thine  ;  and 
that  I  ought  to  pay  for  riding  half  a  mile  with  thy 
horses,  though  they  did  carry  me  the  wrong  way." 
The  man  laughed,  and  said  he  didn't  often  meet 
with  such  conscientious  passengers. 

The  tenacity  of  the  old  gentleman's  memory  was 
truly  remarkable.  He  often  repeated  letters,  which 
he  had  written  or  received  twenty  years  before  on 
some  memorable  occasion ;  and  if  opportunity  oc- 
curred to  compare  them  with  the  originals,  it  would 
be  found  that  he  had  scarcely  varied  a  word.  He 
always  maintained  that  he  could  distinctly  remember 
some  things,  which  happened  before  he  was  two 
years  old.  One  day,  when  his  parents  were  absent, 
and  Polly  was  busy  about  her  work,  he  sat  bolstered 
up  in  his  cradle,  when  a  sudden  gust  of  wind  blew  a 
large  piece  of  paper  through  the  entry.  To  his  un- 
ducated  senses,  it  seemed  to  be  a  living  creature, 
and  he  screamed  violently.  It  was  several  hours 
before  he  recovered  from  his  extreme  terror.  When 
his  parents  returned,  he  tried  to  make  them  under- 


376  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

stand  how  a  strange  thing  had  come  into  the  house, 
and  run,  and  jumped,  and  made  a  noise.  But  his 
lisping  language  was  so  very  imperfect,  that  they 
were  unable  to  conjecture  what  had  so  frightened 
him.  For  a  long  time  after,  he  would  break  out  into 
sudden  screams,  whenever  the  remembrance  came 
over  him.  At  seventy-five  years  old,  he  told  me  he 
remembered  exactly  how  the  paper  then  appeared  to 
him,  and  what  sensations  of  terror  it  excited  in  his 
infant  breast. 

He  had  a  large  old-fashioned  cow-bell,  which  was 
always  rung  to  summon  the  family  to  their  meals. 
He  resisted  having  one  of  more  modern  construction, 
because  he  said  that  pleasantly  reminded  him  of  the 
time  when  he  was  a  boy,  and  used  to  drive  the  cows 
to  pasture.  Sometimes,  he  rang  it  much  longer 
than  was  necessary  to  summon  the  household.  On 
such  occasions,  I  often  observed  him  smiling  while 
he  stood  shaking  the  bell ;  and  he  would  say,  "  I  am 
thinking  how  Polly  looked,  when  the  cow  kicked 
her  over;  milk-pail  and  all.  I  can  see  it  just  as 
if  it  happened  yesterday.  O,  what  fun  it  was  !" 

He  often  spoke  of  the  first  slave  whose  escape  he 
managed,  in  the  days  of  his  apprenticeship.  He 
was  wont  to  exclaim,  "How  well  I  remember  the 
anxious,  imploring  look  that  poor  fellow  gave  me, 
when  I  told  him  I  would  be  his  friend  !  It  rises  up 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  377 

before  me  now.  If  I  were  a  oainter,  I  could  show  it 
to  thee." 

But  clearly  above  all  other  things,  did  he  remem- 
ber every  look  and  tone  of  his  beloved  Sarah  ;  even 
in  the  days  when  they  trudged  to  school  together, 
hand  in  hand.  The  recollection  of  this  first  love, 
closely  intertwined  with  his  first  religious  impres- 
sions, was  the  only  flowery  spot  of  romance  in  the 
old  gentleman's  very  practical  character.  When  he 
was  seventy  years  of  age,  he  showed  me  a  piece  of 
writing  she  had  copied  for  him,  when  she  was  a  girl 
of  fourteen.  It  was  preserved  in  the  self-same  en- 
velope, in  which  she  sent  it,  and  pinned  with  the 
same  pin,  long  since  blackened  by  age.  I  said,  "  Be 
careful  not  to  lose  that  pin," 

"Lose  it!"  he  exclaimed.  ''No  money  could 
tempt  me  to  part  with  it.  I  loved  the  very  ground 
she  trod  upon." 

He  was  never  weary  of  eulogizing  her  comely 
looks,  beautiful  manners,  sound  principles,  and  sen- 
sible conversation.  The  worthy  companion  of  his 
later  life  never  seemed  troubled  by  such  remarks. 
She  not  only  "  listened  to  a  sister's  praises  with  uri- 
wounded  ear,"  but  often  added  a  heartfelt  tribute  to 
the  virtues  of  her  departed  friend. 

It  is  very  common  for  old  people  to  grow  careless 
about  their  personal  appearance,  and  their  style  of 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 


conversation ;  but  Friend  Hopper  was  remarkably 
free  from  such  faults.  He  was  exceedingly  pure  in 
his  mind,  and  in  his  personal  habits.  He  never  allud- 
ed to  any  subject  that  was  unclean,  never  made 
any  indelicate  remark,  or  used  any  unseemly  expres- 
sion. There  was  never  the  slightest  occasion  for 
young  people  to  feel  uneasy  concerning  what  he 
might  say.  However  lively  his  mood  might  be,  his 
fun  was  always  sure  to  be  restrained  by  the  nicest 
sense  of  natural  propriety.  He  shaved,  and  took  a 
cold  plunge-bath  every  day.  Not  a  particle  of  mud 
or  dust  was  allowed  to  remain  upon  his  garments. 
He  always  insisted  on  blacking  his  own  shoes  ;  for 
it  was  one  of  his  principles  not  to  be  waited  upon, 
while  he  was  well  enough  to  wait  upon  himself. 
They  were  always  as  polished  as  japan  ;  and  every 
Saturday  night,  his  silver  buckles  were  made  as 
bright  as  a  new  dollar,  in  readiness  to  go  to  meeting 
the  next  day.  His  dress  was  precisely  like  that  worn 
by  William  Penn.  At  the  time  I  knew  him,  I  be- 
lieve he  was  the  only  Quaker  in  the  country,  who 
had  not  departed  from  that  model  in  the  slightest 
degree.  It  was  in  fact  the  dress  of  all  English  gen- 
tlemen, in  King  Charles's  time  ;  and  the  only  pecu- 
liarity of  William  Penn  was,  that  he  wore  it  without 
embroidery  or  ornament  of  any  kind,  for  the  purpose 
of  protesting  against  the  extravagance  of  the  fash- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  379 

ionable  world.  Therefore,  the  spirit  of  his  intention 
and  that  of  other  early  Friends,  would  be  preserved 
by  wearing  dress  cut  according  to  the  prevailing 
mode,  but  of  plain  materials,  and  entirely  uriorna- 
mented.  However,  Friend  Hopper  was  attached  to 
the  ancient  costume  from  early  association,  and  he 
could  not  quite  banish  the  idea  that  any  change  in  it 
would  be  a  degree  of  conformity  to  the  fashions  ol 
the  world.  The  long  stockings,  and  small  clothes 
buckled  at  the  knee,  were  well  adapted  to  his  finely 
formed  limbs ;  and  certainly  he  and  his  lady-like 
Hannah,  in  their  quaint  garb  of  the  olden  time, 
formed  a  very  agreeable  picture. 

He  had  no  peculiarities  with  regard  to  eating  or 
drinking.  He  always  followed  the  old-fashioned 
substantial  mode  of  living,  to  which  he  had  been  ac- 
customed in  youth,  and  of  which  moderation  in  all 
things  was  the  rule.  For  luxuries  he  had  no  taste. 
He  thought  very  little  about  his  food ;  but  when  it 
was  before  him,  he  ate  with  the  vigorous  appetite 
natural  to  strong  health  and  very  active  habits. 
When  his  health  failed  for  a  time  in  Philadelphia, 
and  he  seemed  wasting  away  to  a  shadow,  his  physi- 
cian recommended  tobacco.  He  found  great  benefit 
from  it,  and  in  consequence  of  the  habit  then  formed 
he  became  an  inveterate  smoker,  and  continued  so 
till  he  was  past  seventy  years  old. 


380  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Being  out  of  health  for  a  short  time,  at  that  pe- 
riod, the  doctor  told  him  he  thought  smoking  was  not 
good  for  his  complaint.  He  accordingly  discontinued 
the  practice,  and  formed  a  resolution  not  to  renew 
it.  When  he  recovered,  it  cost  him  a  good  deal  cf 
physical  annoyance  to  conquer  the  long-settled  habit ; 
but  he  had  sufficient  strength  of  mind  to  persevere 
in  the  difficult  task,  and  he  never  again  used  tobacco 
in  any  form.  Speaking  of  this  to  his  son  Edward, 
he  said,  "The  fact  is,  whoever  cures  himself  of  any 
selfish  indulgence,  becomes  a  better  man.  It  may 
seem  strange  that  I  should  set  out  to  improve  at  my 
age  ;  but  better  late  than  never." 

He  was  eminently  domestic  in  his  character. 
Perhaps  no  man  ever  lived,  who  better  enjoyed 
staying  at  home.  He  loved  to  invite  his  grand- 
children, and  write  them  pleasant  little  notes  about 
the  squirrel-pie,  or  some  other  rarity,  which  he  had 
in  preparation  for  them.  He  seldom  went  out  of  his 
own  family  circle,  except  on  urgent  business,  or  to 
attend  to  some  call  of  humanity.  He  was  always 
very  attentive  in  waiting  upon  his  wife  to  meeting, 
or  elsewhere,  and  spent  a  large  portion  of  his  even- 
ings in  reading  to  her  from  the  newspapers,  or  some 
book  of  Travels,  or  the  writings  of  early  Friends. 
No  man  in  the  country  had  such  a  complete  Quaker 
library.  He  contrived  to  pick  up  every  rare  old 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  381 

volume  connected  with  the  history  of  his  sect.  He 
had  a  wonderful  fondness  and  reverence  for  many  of 
those  books.  They  seemed  to  stand  to  him  in  the 
place  of  old  religious  friends,  who  had  parted  from 
his  side  in  the  journey  of  life.  There,  at  least,  he 
found  Quakerism  that  had  not  degenerated;  that 
breathed  the  same  spirit  as  of  yore. 

I  presume  that  his  religious  opinions  resembled 
those  of  Elias  Hicks.  But  I  judged  so  mainly  from 
incidental  remarks  ;  for  he  regarded  doctrines  as  of 
small  importance,  and  considered  theology  an  un- 
profitable topic  of  conversation.  Practical  righteous- 
ness, manifested  in  the  daily  affairs  of  life,  was  in 
his  view  the  sum  and  substance  of  religion.  The 
doctrine  of  the  Atonement  never  commended  itself 
to  his  reason,  and  his  sense  of  justice  was  disturbed 
by  the  idea  of  the  innocent  suffering  for  the  guilty. 
He  moreover  thought  it  had  a  pernicious  tendency 
for  men  to  rely  on  an  abstract  article  of  faith,  to 
save  them  from  their  sins.  With  the  stern  and 
gloomy  sects,  who  are  peculiarly  attracted  by  the 
character  of  Deity  as  delineated  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, he  had  no  sympathy.  The  Infinite  One  was 
ever  present  to  his  mind,  as  a  loving  Father  to  all 
his  children,  whether  they  happened  to  call  him 
by  the  name  of  Brama,  Jehovah,  God,  or  Allah. 

He  was  strongly  attached  to  the  forms  of  Qua- 


382  LIFE    OF   ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

kerism,  as  well  as  to  the  principles.  It  troubled 
him,  when  some  of  his  children  changed  their  mode 
of  dress,  and  ceased  to  say  thee  and  ihou.  He 
groaned  when  one  of  his  daughters  appeared  before 
him  with  a  black  velvet  bonnet,  though  it  was  ex- 
ceedingly simple  in  construction,  and  unornamented 
by  feather  or  ribbon.  She  was  prepared  for  this' 
reception,  and  tried  to  reconcile  him  to  the  innova- 
tion by  representing  that  a  white  or  drab-colored 
silk  bonnet  showed  every  stain,  and  was  therefore 
very  uneconomical  for  a  person  of  active  habits. 
"Thy  good  mother  was  a  very  energetic  woman," 
he  replied ;  "  but  she  found  no  difficulty  in  keeping 
her  white  bonnet  as  nice  as  a  new  pin."  His  daugh- 
ter urged  that  it  required  a  great  deal  of  trouble  to 
keep  it  so  ;  and  that  she  did  not  think  dress  was 
worth  so  much  trouble.  But  his  groan  was  only 
softened  into  a  sigh.  The  fashion  of  the  bonnet  his 
Sarah  had  worn,  in  that  beloved  old  meeting-house 
at  Woodbury,  was  consecrated  in  his  memory ;  and 
to  his  mind,  the  outward  type  also  stood  for  an  in- 
ward principle.  I  used  to  tell  him  that  I  found 
something  truly  grand  in  the  original  motive  for 
saying  thee  and  thou ;  but  it  seemed  to  me  that  it 
had  degenerated  into  a  mere  hereditary  habit,  since 
the  custom  of  applying  you  exclusively  to  superiors 
had  vanished  from  the  English  language.  He  ad- 
mitted the  force  of  this  argument ;  but  he  deprecated 


LIFE    OF  ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  383 

a  departure  from  their  old  forms,  because  he  con- 
sidered it  useful,  especially  to  the  young,  to  carry 
the  cross  of  being  marked  and  set  apart  from  the 
world.  But  though  he  was  thus  strict  in  what  he 
required  of  those  who  had  been  educated  as  Qua- 
kers, he  placed  no  barrier  between  himself  and 
people  of  other  sects.  He  loved  a  righteous  man, 
and  sympathized  with  an  unfortunate  one,  without 
reference  to  his  denomination.  In  fact,  many  of  his 
warmest  and  dearest  friends  were  not  members  of  his 
own  religious  society. 

Early  in  life  he  formed  an  unfavorable  opinion  ol 
the  effect  of  capital  punishment.  His  uncle  Tatum 
considered  it  a  useful  moral  lesson  to  take  all  his 
apprentices  to  hear  the  tragedy  of  George  Barnwell, 
and  to  witness  public  executions.  On  one  of  these 
occasions,  he  saw  five  men  hung  at  once.  His 
habits  of  shrewd  observation  soon  led  him  to  con- 
clude that  such  spectacles  generally  had  a  very  har- 
dening and  bad  influence  on  those  who  witnessed 
them,  or  heard  them  much  talked  about.  In  riper 
years,  his  mind  was  deeply  interested  in  the  subject, 
and  he  read  and  reflected  upon  it  a  great  deal.  The 
result  of  his  investigations  was  a  settled  conviction 
that  executions  did  not  tend  to  diminish  crime,  but 
rather  to  increase  it,  by  their  demoralizing  effect  on 
the  community.  He  regarded  them  with  abhor- 


384 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 


rence,  as  a  barbarous  custom,  entirely  out  of  place 
in  a  civilized  country  and  a  Christian  age. 

Concerning  the  rights  of  women,  he  scarcely 
needed  any  new  light  from  modern  theories  ;  for,  as 
a  Quaker,  he  had  been  early  accustomed  to  practical 
equality  between  men  and  women  in  all  the  affairs 
of  the  Society.  He  had  always  been  in  the  habit  of 
listening  to  them  as  preachers,  and  of  meeting  them 
on  committees  with  men,  for  education,  for  the  care 
of  the  poor,  for  missions  to  the  Indians,  and  for 
financial  regulations.  Therefore,  it  never  occurred  to 
him  that  there  was  anything  unseemly  in  a  woman's 
using  any  gift  with  which  God  had  endowed  her,  or 
transacting  any  business,  which  she  had  the  ability 
to  do  well. 

After  his  removal  to  New- York,  incidents  now 
and  then  occurred,  which  formed  pleasant  links  with 
his  previous  life  in  Philadelphia.  Sometimes  slaves, 
whom  he  had  rescued  many  years  before,  or  convicts, 
whom  he  had  encouraged  to  lead  a  better  life,  called 
to  see  him  and  express  their  gratitude.  Sometimes 
their  children  came  to  bless  him.  There  was  one 
old  colored  woman,  who  never  could  meet  him  with- 
out embracing  him.  Although  these  demonstrations 
were  not  always  convenient,  and  did  not  partake  of 
the  quiet  character  of  Quaker  discipline,  he  would 
never  say  anything  to  repress  the  overflowings  of 
her  warm  old  heart.  As  one  of  his  sons  passed 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  385 

through  Bond-street,  he  saw  an  old  colored  man 
rubbing  his  knees,  and  making  the  most  lively  ges- 
ticulations of  delight.  Being  asked  what  was  the 
matter,  he  pointed  across  the  street,  and  exclaimed, 
"  O,  if  I  was  only  sure  that  was  Friend  Hopper  of 
Philadelphia !  If  I  was  only  sure  /"  When  told 
that  he  was  not  mistaken,  he  rushed  up  to  the  old 
gentleman,  threw  his  arms  about  his  neck,  and 
hugged  him. 

When  I  told  him  of  Julia  Pell,  a  colored  Metho- 
dist preacher,  whose  fervid  untutored  eloquence  had 
produced  an  exciting  effect  on  my  mind,  he  invited 
her  to  come  and  take  tea  with  him.  In  the  course 
of  conversation,  he  discovered  that  she  was  the 
daughter  of  !Zeke,  the  slave  who  outwitted  his  pur- 
chaser ;  as  described  in  the  preceding  narratives.  It 
was  quite  an  interesting  event  in  her  life  to  meet 
with  the  man  who  had  written  her  father's  manumis- 
sion papers,  while  she  was  in  her  infancy.  When 
the  parting  hour  came,  she  said  she  felt  moved  to 
pray ;  and  dropping  on  her  knees,  she  poured  forth 
a  brief  but  very  earnest  prayer,  at  the  close  of 
which  she  said  :  "  0  Lord,  I  beseech  thee  to  shower 
down  blessings  on  that  good  old  man,  whom  thou 
hast  raised  up  to  do  such  a  blessed  work  for  my 
down-trodden  people." 

Friend  Hopper's  fund  of  anecdotes,  especially  with 

regard  to  colored  people,  was  almost  inexhaustible. 
17 


386  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

He  related  them  with  so  much  animation,  that  he 
was  constantly  called  upon  to  repeat  them,  both  at 
public  meetings  and  in  private  conversation ;  and 
they  never  failed  to  excite  lively  interest.  Every 
stranger,  who  was  introduced  to  him,  tried  to  draw 
him  out ;  and  it  was  an  easy  matter ;  for  he  loved  to 
oblige  people,  and  it  is  always  pleasant  for  an  old 
soldier  to  fight  his  battles  over  again.  In  this  readi- 
ness to  recount  his  own  exploits,  there  was  nothing 
that  seemed  like  silly  or  obtrusive  vanity.  It  often 
reminded  me  of  the  following  just  remark  in  the 
Westminster  Review,  applied  to  Jeremy  Bentham : 
"The  very  egotism  in  which  he  occasionally  indulged 
was  a  manifestation  of  a  want  of  self-thought.  This 
unpopular  failing  is,  after  all,  one  of  the  characteris- 
tics of  a  natural  and  simple  mind.  It  requires  much 
thought  about  one's  self  to  avoid  speaking  of  one's 
self." 

It  has  been  already  mentioned  that  Friend  Hop- 
per passed  through  a  fiery  trial  in  his  own  religious 
society,  during  the  progress  of  the  schism  produced 
by  the  preaching  of  Elias  Hicks.  Fourteen  years 
had  elapsed  since  the  separation.  The  "Hicksite" 
branch  had  become  an  established  and  respectable 
sect.  In  cities,  many  of  them  were  largely  engaged 
in  Southern  trade.  I  have  heard  it  stated  that  mil- 
lions of  money  were  thus  invested.  They  retained 
sympathy  with  the  theological  opinions  of  Elias 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 


Hicks,  but  his  rousing  remonstrances  against  slavery 
would  have  been  generally  very  unwelcome  to  their 
ears.  They  cherished  the  names  of  Anthony  Bene- 
zet,  John  Woolman,  and  a  host  of  other  departed 
worthies,  whose  labors  in  behalf  of  the  colored  peo- 
ple reflected  honor  on  their  Society.  But  where  was 
the  need  of  being  so  active  in  the  cause,  as  Isaac  T. 
Hopper  was,  and  always  had  been  ?  "  The  way  did 
not  open"  for  them  to  be  so  active  ;  and  why  should 
his  zeal  rebuke  their  listlessness  ?  Was  it  friendly, 
was  it  respectful  in  him,  to  do  more  than  his  reli- 
gious Society  thought  it  necessary  to  do  ?  It  is  as- 
tonishing how  troublesome  a  living  soul  proves  to  be, 
when  they  try  to  shut  it  up  within  the  narrow  limits 
of  a  drowsy  sect  ! 

I  had  a  friend  in  Boston,  whose  wrealthy  and  aris- 
tocratic parents  brought  him  up  according  to  the 
most  approved  model  of  genteel  religion.  He  learn- 
ed the  story  of  the  Good  Samaritan,  and  was  early 
accustomed  to  hear  eulogies  pronounced  on  the  holy 
Jesus,  who  loved  the  poor,  and  associated  with  the 
despised.  When  the  boy  became  a  man  he  joined 
the  Anti-Slavery  Society,  and  openly  avowed  that 
he  regarded  Africans  as  brethren  of  the  great  human 
family.  His  relatives  were  grieved  to  see  him  pur- 
suing such  an  injudicious  and  disrespectable  course. 
Whereupon,  a  witty  reformer  remarked,  "  They  took 
most  commendable  pains  to  present  Jesus  and  the 


388  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Good  Samaritan  as  models  of  character,  but  they 
were  surprised  to  find  that  he  had  taken  them  at 
their  word." 

The  case  was  somewhat  similar  with  Isaac  T. 
Hopper.  He  had  imbibed  anti-slavery  principles  in 
full  flood  at  the  fountain  of  Quakerism.  Their  best 
and  greatest  men  were  conspicuous  as  advocates  of 
those  principles.  Children  were  taught  to  revere 
those  men,  and  their  testimonies  were  laid  up  in 
honorable  preservation,  to  be  quoted  with  solemn 
formality  on  safe  occasions.  Friend  Hopper  acted 
as  if  these  professions  were  in  good  earnest ;  and 
thereby  he  disturbed  his  sect,  as  my  Boston  friend 
troubled  his  family,  when  he  made  practical  use  01 
their  religious  teaching. 

That  many  of  the  modern  Quakers  should  be 
blinded  by  bales  of  cotton,  heaped  up  between  their 
souls  and  the  divine  light,  is  not  remarkable  ;  for  cot- 
ton is  an  impervious  material.  But  it  is  a  strange 
anomaly  in  their  history  that  any  one  among  them 
should  have  considered  himself  guided  by  the  Spirit 
to  undertake  the  especial  mission  of  discouraging 
sympathy  with  the  enslaved.  A  minister  belonging 
to  that  branch  of  the  Society  called  "Hicksites,"  who 
usually  preached  in  Rose-street  Meeting,  New- York, 
had  imbibed  very  strong  prejudices  against  all  modern 
reforms  :  and  he  manifested  his  aversion  with  a  de- 
gree of  excitement,  in  language,  tone,  and  gesture, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  389 

very  unusual  in  that  quiet  sect.  Those  who  labored 
in  the  cause  of  temperance,  anti-slavery,  or  non-resis- 
tance, he  was  wont  to  stigmatize  as  "hireling  lec- 
turers," "hireling  book-agents,"  and  "emissaries  of 
Satan."  Soon  after  Thomas  Hughes  consented 
to  return  to  the  South,  in  consequence  of  the  fair 
professions  of  Mr.  Darg,  this  preacher  chimed  in 
with  the  exulting  tones  of  the  pro-slavery  press,  by 
alluding  to  it  in  one  of  his  public  discourses  as  fol 
lows.  After  speaking  of  the  tendency  of  affliction 
to  produce  humility,  he  went  on  to  say,  "  As  a  slave, 
who  had  suffered  the  effects  of  his  criminal  conduct, 
and  been  thus  led  to  calm  reflection,  recently  chose 
to  go  back  with  this  master  into  slavery,  and  endure 
all  the  evils  of  that  condition,  notwithstanding  his 
former  experience  of  them,  rather  than  stay  with 
those  hypocritical  workers  of  popular  righteousness 
who  had  interfered  in  his  behalf.  For  my  own  part, 
I  commend  his  choice.  I  had  a  thousand  times 
rather  be  a  slave,  and  spend  my  days  with  slave- 
holders, than  to  dwell  in  companionship  with  abo- 
litionists." 

The  state  of  things  among  Quakers  in  the  city  of 
New- York  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  this 
minister  was  exceedingly  popular,  and  his  style  of 
preaching  cordially  approved  by  a  majority  of  them. 
One  of  the  editors  of  the  Anti-Slavery  Standard,  at 
that  time,  wrote  a  severe,  though  by  no  means  abu- 


390  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

sive  article  on  the  subject,  headed  "Rare  Specimen 
of  a  Quaker  Preacher."  This  gave  great  offence, 
and  Isaac  T.  Hopper  was  very  much  blamed  for  it. 
He,  and  his  son-in-law  James  S.  Gibbons,  and  his 
friend  Charles  Marriott,  then  belonged  to  the  Exe- 
cutive Committee  of  the  Anti  Slavery  Society  ;  and 
it  was  assumed  to  be  their  duty  to  have  prevented 
the  publication  of  the  sarcastic  article.  Charles 
Marriot  was  absent  from  the  city  when  it  was  pub- 
lished, and  Friend  Hopper  did  not  see  it  till  after  it 
was  in  print.  When  they  urged  these  facts,  and 
stated,  moreover,  that  they  had  no  right  to  dictate 
to  the  editor  what  he  should  say,  or  what  he  should 
not  say,  they  were  told  that  they  ought  to  exculpate 
themselves  by  a  public  expression  of  their  disappro- 
bation. But  as  they  did  not  believe  the  editorial  ar- 
ticle contained  any  mis-statement  of  facts,  they  could 
not  conscientiously  say  any  thing  that  would  satisfy 
the  friends  of  the  preacher.  It  would  be  tedious  to 
relate  the  difficulties  that  followed.  There  were 
visits  from  overseers,  and  prolonged  sessions  of  com- 
mittees ;  a  great  deal  of  talking  with  the  accused, 
and  still  more  talking  about  them.  A  strong  dispo- 
sition was  manifested  to  make  capital  against  them 
out  of  the  Darg  Case.  Robert  H.  Morris,  who  was 
presiding  Judge  while  that  case  was  pending,  and 
afterward  Mayor  of  New- York,  had  long  known 
Friend  Hopper,  and  held  him  in  much  respect.  When 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  391 

he  was  told  that  some  sought  to  cast  imputations  on 
his  character,  he  was  greatly  surprised,  and  offered 
to  give  favorable  testimony  in  any  form  that  might 
be  desired.  J.  R.  Whiting,  the  District  Attorney, 
expressed  the  same  readiness  ;  and  private  misrepre- 
sentations were  silenced  by  a  published  certificate 
from  them,  testifying  that  throughout  the  affair 
Friend  Hopper  had  merely  "exhibited  a  desire  to 
procure  the  money  for  the  master,  and  the  manu- 
mission of  the  slave." 

The  principal  argument  brought  by  Friends,  against 
their  members  uniting  with  Anti-Slavery  Societies, 
was  that  they  were  thus  led  to  mix  indiscriminately 
with  people  of  other  denominations,  and  brought  into 
contact  with  hireling  clergymen.  There  seemed 
some  inconsistency  in  this  objection,  coming  from 
the  mouths  of  men  who  belonged  to  Rail  Road  Cor- 
porations, and  Bank  Stock  Companies,  and  who 
mingled  constantly  with  slaveholders  in  Southern 
trade  ;  for  the  early  testimonies  of  the  Society  were 
quite  as  explicit  against  slavery,  as  against  a  paid 
ministry.  However,  those  of  their  members  who 
were  abolitionists  were  willing  to  obviate  this  objec- 
tion, if  possible.  They  accordingly  formed  an  asso- 
ciation among  themselves,  "for  the  relief  of  those 
held  in  slavery,  and  the  improvement  of  the  free 
people  of  color."  But  when  this  benevolent  associa- 
tion asked  for  the  use  of  Rose-street  Meeting-house, 


392  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

their  request  was  not  only  refused,  but  condemned 
as  disorderly.  Affairs  were  certainly  in  a  very  sin 
gular  position.  Both  branches  of  the  Society  of 
Friends  were  entirely  inert  on  the  subject  of  slavery. 
Both  expressed  pity  for  the  slave,  but  both  agreed 
that  "  the  way  did  not  open"  for  them  to  do  any 
thing.  If  individual  members  were  thus  driven  to 
unite  in  action  with  other  sects  upon  a  subject  which 
seemed  to  them  very  important,  they  were  called 
disorganizers.  When  they  tried  to  conciliate  by 
forming  an  association  composed  of  Quakers  only, 
they  were  told  that  "as  the  Society  of  Friends  saw 
no  way  to  move  forward  in  this  concern,  such  asso- 
ciations appeared  to  reflect  upon  them ;"  implying 
that  they  failed  in  discharging  their  duty  as  a  reli- 
gious body.  What  could  an  earnest,  direct  charac- 
ter, like  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  do  in  the  midst  of  a  sect 
thus  situated?  He  proceeded  as  he  always  did. 
He  walked  straight  forward  in  what  seemed  to  him 
the  path  of  duty,  and  snapped  all  the  lilliputian 
cords  with  which  they  tried  to  bind  him. 

Being  unable  to  cfbtain  any  apology  from  their  of- 
fending members,  the6  Society  proceeded  to  adminis- 
ter its  discipline.  A  complaint  was  laid  before  the 
Monthly  Meeting  of  New- York,  in  which  Isaac  T. 
Hopper,  James  S.  Gibbons,  and  Charles  Marriott, 
were  accused  of  "being  concerned  in  the  publication 
and  support  of  a  paper  calculated  to  excite  discord 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  393 

and  disunity  among  Friends."     Friend  Hopper  pub- 
lished a  statement,  characterised  by  his  usual  bold- 
ness, and  disturbed  his  mind  very  little  about  the  re- 
sult  of  their  proceedings.     April,    1842,  he   wrote 
thus,  to  his  daughter,  Sarah  H.  Palmer,  of  Philadel- 
phia :  "  During  my  late  indisposition,  I  was  induced 
to  enter  into  a  close  examination  of  my  own  heart ; 
and  I  could  not  find  that  I  stood  condemned  there 
for  the  part  I  have  taken  in  the  anti-slavery  cause, 
which  has  brought  upon  me  so  much  censure  from 
those  'who  know  not  God,  nor  his  son  Jesus   Christ. 
They  proless  that  they  know  God,  but  in  works  they 
deny  him.'     I  have  not  yet  given  up  our  Society  as 
lost.     I  still  live  in  the  faith  that  it  will  see  better 
days.     I   often   remember  the  testimony  borne  by 
that  devoted  and  dignified  servant  of  the  Lord,  Ma- 
ry  Ridgeway ;  which  was   to   this   import :     '  The 
Lord,  in  his  infinite  wisdom  and  mercy,  has  gathered 
this  Society  to  be  a  people,  and  has  placed  his  name 
among  them  ;  and  He  has  given  them  noble  testimo- 
nies to  hold  up  to  the  nations  ;  but  if  they  prove  un- 
faithful, those  testimonies  will  be  given  unto  others, 
who  may  be  compared  to  the  st6nes  of  the  street ; 
and  they  will  wear  the  crowns  that  were  intended  for 
this  people,  who  will  be  cast  out,  as  salt  that  has 
lost  its  savor.'     We  may  plume  ourselves  upon  be- 
ing the  children  of  Abraham,  but  in  the  days  of  sol- 
emn inquisition,  which  surely  will  come,  it  will  only 
17*' 


394  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

add  to  our  condemnation,  because  we  have  not  done 
the  works  of  Abraham." 

"The  Yearly  Meeting  will  soon  be  upon  us,  when 
we  shall  have  a  final  decision  in  our  cases.  I  feel 
perfectly  resigned  to  the  result,  be  it  what  it  may. 
Indeed,.!  have  sometimes  thought  I  should  be  happi 
er  out  of  the  Society  than  in  it.  I  should  feel  more 
at  liberty  to  '  cry  aloud  and  spare  not,  to  lift  up  my 
voice  like  a  trumpet,  and  show  the  people  their 
transgressions,  and  the  house  of  Jacob  their  sins,'  I 
believe  no  greater  benefit  could  be  conferred  on  the 
Society.  There  are  yet  many  in  it  who  see  and  de- 
plore its  departure  from  primitive  uprightness,  but 
who  are  afraid  to  come  out  as  they  ought  against  the 
evils  that  prevail  in  it." 

An  aged  and  very  worthy  Friend  in  Philadelphia, 
named  Robert  Moore,  who  deeply  sympathized  with 
the  wrongs  of  colored  people,  wrote  to  Friend  Hop- 
per as  follows  :  "From  1822  to  1827,  we  had  many 
interesting  conversations  in  thy  little  front  room, 
respecting  the  distracted  state  of  our  Society,  and 

the  efforts  made  to  sustain  our  much  beloved  brother 

A    m 

Elias  Hicks,  against  those  who  were  anxious  for  his 
downfall  and  excommunication.  This  great  excite- 
ment grew  hotter  till  the  separation  in  1827;  we 
not  being  able  to  endure  any  longer  the  intolerance 
of  the  party  in  power.  Well,  it  appears  that  the 
persecuted  have  now,  in  their  turn,  become  persecu- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  395 

tors  ;  and  those  who  went  through  the  fire  aforetime 
are  devoted  to  pass  through  it  again.  But,  my  dear 
friend,  I  hope  thou  and  all  who  are  doomed  to  suffer 
for  conscience  sake,  will  stand  firm,  and  not  deviate 
one  inch  from  what  you  believe  to  be  your  duty. 
They  may  cast  you  out  of  the  synagogue,  which  I 
fear  has  become  sfl  corrupt  that  a  seat  among  them 
has  ceased  to  be  an  honor,  or  in  any  way  desirable  ; 
but  you  will  pass  through  the  furnace  unscathed. 
Not  a  hair  of  your  heads  will  be  singed." 

The  ecclesiastical  proceedings  in  this  case  were 
kept  pending  more  than  a  year,  I  think  ;  being  car- 
ried from  the  Monthly  Meeting  to  the  Quarterly,  and 
thence  to  the  Yearly  Meeting.  Thirty-six  Friends 
were  appointed  a  committee  in  the  Yearly  Meeting. 
They  .had  six  sessions,  and  finally  reported  that,  af- 
ter patient  deliberation,  they  found  eighteen  of  their 
number  in  favor  of  confirming  the  decision  of  the 
Quarterly  Meeting ;  fifteen  for  reversing  it ;  and 
three  who  declined  giving  any  judgment  in  the  case. 
Upon  this  report,  the  Yearly  Meeting  confirmed  the 
decision  of  the  inferior  tribunals  ;  and  Isaac  T.  Hop- 
per, James  S.  Gibbons,  and  Charles  Marriott  were 
excommunicated ;  in  Quaker  phrase,  disowned. 

I  thus  expressed  myself  at  the  time  ;  and  the  lapse 
of  ten  years  has  not  changed  my  view  of  the  case  : 
Excommunication  for  such  causes  will  cut  off  from 
the  Society  their  truest,  purest,  and  tenderest  spirits 


396  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

There  is  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  whose  life  has  been  one 
long  chapter  of  benevolence,  an  unblotted  record  of 
fair  integrity.  A  man  so  exclusive  in  his  religious 
attachments  that  the  principles  of  his  Society  are  to 
his  mind  identical  with  Christianity,  and  its  minutest 
forms  sacred  from  innovation.  A  man  whose  name 
is  first  mentioned  wherever  Quakerism  is  praised,  or 
benevolence  to  the  slave  approved. 

There  is  Charles  Marriott,  likewise  widely  known, 
and  of  high  standing  in  the  Society  ;  mild  as  a  lamb, 
and  tender-hearted  as  a  child ;  one  to  whom  conflict 
with  others  is  peculiarly  painful,  but  who  nevertheless, 
when  principles  are  at  stake,  can  say,  with  the  bold- 
hearted  Luther,  "  God  help  me  !  I  cannot  otherwise." 

There  is  James  S.  Gibbons,  a  young  man,  and 
therefore  less  known ;  but  wherever  known,  prized 
for  his  extreme  kindness  of  heart,  his  steadfast  hon- 
esty of  purpose,  his  undisguised  sincerity,  and  his 
unflinching  adherence  to  his  own  convictions  of  duty. 
A  Society  has  need  to  be  very  rich  in  moral  excel- 
lence, that  can  afford  to  throw  away  three  such 
members. 

Protests  and  disclaimers  against  the  disownment 
ol  these  worthy  men  cam£  from  several  parts  of  the 
country,  signed  by  Friends  of  high  character ;  and 
many  private  letters  were  addressed  to  them,  ex- 
pressive of  sympathy  and  approbation.  Friend  Hop- 
per was  always  grateful  for  such  marks  of  respect 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  397 

and  friendship  ;  but  his  own  conscience  would  have 
sustained  him  without  such  aid.  He  had  long  felt 
a  deep  sadness  whenever  he  was  reminded  of  the 
spiritual  separation  between  him  and  the  religious 
Society,  whose  preachers  had  exerted  such  salutary 
influence  on  his  youthful  character ;  but  the  external 
separation  was  of  no  consequence.  He  attended 
meeting  constantly,  as  he  had  ever  done,  and  took 
his  seat  on  the  bench  under  the  preachers'  gallery, 
facing  the  audience,  where  he  had  always  been  ac- 
customed to  sit,  when  he  was  an  honored  member  of 
the  Society.  Charles  Marriott,  who  was  by  tempera- 
ment a  much  meeker  man,  said  to  him  one  day, 
"The  overseers  have  called  upon  me,  to  represent 
the  propriety  of  my  taking  another  seat,  under 
existing  circumstances.  I  expect  they  will  call  upon 
thee,  to  give  the  same  advice." 

"  I  expect  they  worit"  was  Isaac's  laconic  reply  ; 
and  they  never  did. 

His  daughter,  Abby  H.  Gibbons,  soon  after  re- 
signed membership  in  the  Monthly  Meeting  of  New- 
York  for  herself  and  her  children ;  and  his  sons 
Josiah  and  John  did  the  same.  The  grounds  stated 
were  that  "the  meeting  had  manifestly  departed 
from  the  original  principles  and  testimonies  of  the 
Society  of  Friends ;  that  the  plainest  principles  of 
civil  and  religious  freedom  had  been  violated  in  the 
whole  proceedings  in  relation  to  their  father;  and 


398  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

that  the  overseers  had  prepared  an  official  document 
calculated  to  produce  false  impressions  with  regard 
to  him ;  accusing  him  of  'grossly  reproachful  con- 
duct' in  the  well  known  Darg  Case  ;  whereas  there 
was  abundant  evidence  before  the  public  that  his 
proceedings  in  that  case  were  influenced  by  the  pu- 
rest and  most  disinterested  motives." 

The  Philadelphia  Ledger,  after  stating  that  the 
Society  of  Friends  in  New- York  had  disowned  some 
of  their  prominent  members  for  being  connected, 
directly  or  indirectly,  with  an  Abolition  Journal, 
added  the  following  remark:  "This  seems  rather 
singular ;  for  we  had  supposed  that  Friends  were 
favorably  inclined  toward -the  abolition  of  slavery. 
But  many  of  their  members  are  highly  respectable 
merchants,  extensively  engaged  in  Southern  trade. 
We  are  informed  that  they  are  determined  to  dis- 
countenance all  pragmatic  interference  with  the  legal 
and  constitutional  rights  of  their  brethren  at  the 
South.  The  Quakers  have  always  been  distin- 
guished for  minding  their  own  business,  and  per- 
mitting others  to  attend  to  theirs.  They  would  be 
the  last  people  to  meddle  with  the  rights  of  pro- 
perty" 

The  Boston  Times  quoted  the  paragraph  from 
the  Philadelphia  Ledger,  with  the  additional  remark, 
"There  is  no  logician  like  money." 

Whether  Friends  in  New- York  felt  flattered  by 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  399 

these  eulogiums,  I  know  not ;    but  they  appear  to 
have  been  well  deserved. 

In  1842  and  the  year  following,  Friend  Hopper 
travelled  more  than  usual.  In  August  '42,  he  visit- 
ed his  native  place,  after  an  absence  of  twenty  years. 
He  and  his  wife  were  accompanied  from  Philadel- 
phia by  his  son  Edward  and  his  daughter  Sarah  H. 
Palmer.  Of  course,  the  haunts  of  his  boyhood  had 
undergone  many  changes.  Panther's  Bridge  had 
disappeared,  and  Rabbit  Swamp  and  Turkey  Cause 
way  no  longer  looked  like  the  same  places.  He 
visited  his  father's  house,  then  occupied  by  stran- 
gers, and  found  the  ruins  of  his  great-grandfather's 
dwelling.  Down  by  the  pleasant  old  creek,  shaded 
with  large  walnut  trees  and  cedars,  stpod  the  tombs 
of  many  of  his  relatives ;  and  at  Woodbury  were 
the  graves  of  his  father  and  mother,  and  the  parents 
of  his  wife.  Every  spot  had  something  interesting 
to  say  of  the  past.  His  eyes  brightened,  and  his 
tongue  became  voluble  with  a  thousand  memories. 
Had  I  been  present  to  listen  to  him  then,  I  should 
doubtless  have  been  enabled  to  add  considerably  to 
my  stock  of  early  anecdotes.  He  seemed  to  have 
rought  away  from  this  visit  a  peculiarly  vivid  recol- 
ection  of  "poor  crazy  Joe  Gibson."  This  demented 
being  was  sometimes  easily  controlled,  and  willing 
to  be  useful ;  at  other  times,  he  was  perfectly  furious 
and  ungovernable.  Few  people  knew  how  to  man- 


400  LIFE    OF   ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

age  him ;  but  Isaac's  parents  acquired  great  influence 
over  him  by  their  uniform  system  of  forbearance  and 
tenderness ;  their  own  good  sense  and  benevolence 
having  suggested  the  ideas  which  regulate  the  treat- 
ment of  insanity  at  the  present  period.  The  day 
spent  in  Woodbury  and  its  vicinity  was  a  bright  spot 
in  Friend  Hopper's  life,  to  which  he  always  reverted 
with  a  kind  of  saddened  pleasure.  The  heat  of  the 
season  had  been  tempered  by  floating  clouds,  and 
when  they  returned  to  Philadelphia,  there  was  a 
faint  rainbow  in  the  east.  He  looked  lovingly  upon 
it,  and  said,  "These  clouds  seem  to  have  followed 
us  all  day,  on  purpose  to  make  everything  more 
pleasant." 

In  the  course  of  the  same  month  he  accepted  an 
invitation  to  attend  the  Anti-Slavery  Convention  at 
Norristown,  Pennsylvania.  His  appearance  there 
was  quite  an  event.  Many  friends  of  the  cause, 
who  were  strangers  to  him,  were  curious  to  obtain  a 
sight  of  him,  and  to  hear  him  address  the  meeting. 
Charles  C.  Burleigh,  in  an  eloquent  letter  to  the 
Convention,  says  :  "  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  Isaac  T. 
Hopper  is  to  be  present.  That  tried  old  veteran, 
with  his  eye  undimmed,  his  natural  strength  unabat- 
ed, his  resolute  look,  and  calm  determined  manner, 
before  which  the  blustering  kidnapper,  and  the  self- 
important  oppressor  have  so  often  quailed  !  With 
the  scars  of  a  hundred  battles,  and  the  wreaths  of  an 


LIFE  OP  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER.          401 

hundred  victories  in  this  glorious  warfare.  With 
his  example  of  half  a  century's  active  service  in  this 
holy  cause,  and  his  still  faithful  adherence  to  it, 
through  evil  as  well  as  good  report,  and  in  the  face 
of  opposition  as  bitter  as  sectarian  bigotry  can  stir 
up.  Persecution  cannot  bow  the  head,  which  seven- 
ty winters  could  not  blanch,  nor  the  terrors  of  ex- 
communication chill  the  heart,  in  which  age  could 
not  freeze  the  kindly  flow  of  warm  philanthropy." 

I  think  it  was  not  long  after  this  excursion  that  his 
sister  Sarah  came  from  Maryland  to  visit  him.  She 
was  a  pleasant,  sensible  matron,  much  respected  by 
all  who  knew  her.  I  noted  down  at  the  time  several 
anecdotes  of  childhood  and  youth,  which  bubbled  up 
in  the  course  of  conversations  between  her  and  her 
brother.  In  her  character  the  hereditary  trait  of  be- 
nevolence was  manifested  in  a  form  somewhat  differ- 
ent from  his.  She  had  no  children  of  her  own,  but 
she  brought  up,  on  her  husband's  farm,  nineteen  poor 
boys  and  girls,  and  gave  most  of  them  a  trade. 
Nearly  all  of  them  turned  out  well. 

In  the  winters  of  1842  and  '43,  Friend  Hopper 
complied  with  urgent  invitations  to  visit  the  Anti- 
Slavery  Fair,  in  Boston ;  and  seldom  has  a  warmer 
welcome  been  given  to  any  man.  As  soon  as  he  ap- 
peared in  Amory  Hall,  he  was  always  surrounded 
by  a  circle  of  lively  girls  attracted  by  his  frank  man- 
ners, his  thousand  little  pleasantries,  and  his  keen 


402  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

enjoyment  of  young  society.  A  friend  of  mine  used 
to  say  that  when  she  saw  them  clustering  round 
him,  in  furs  and  feathered  bonnets,  listening  to  his 
words  so  attentively,  she  often  thought  it  would 
make  as  fine  a  picture  as  William  Penn  explaining 
his  treaty  to  the  Indians. 

Ellis  Gray  Loring  in  a  letter  to  me,  says  :  "We 
greatly  enjoyed  Friend  Hopper's  visit.  You  cannot 
conceive  how  everybody  was  delighted  with  him  ; 
particularly  all  our  gay  young  set ;  James  Russell 
Lowell,  William  W.  Story,  and  the  like.  The  old 
gentleman  seemed  very  happy ;  receiving  from  all 
hands  evidence  of  the  true  respect  in  which  he  is 
held."  Mrs.  Loring,  writing  to  his  son  John,  says  : 
"We  have  had  a  most  delightful  visit  from  your  fa- 
ther. Our  respect,  wonder,  and  love  for  him  in- 
creased daily.  I  am  sure  he  must  have  received 
some  pleasure,  he  bestowed  so  much.  We  feel  his 
friendship  to  be  a  great  acquisition." 

Samuel  J.  May  wrote  to  me  :  "  I  cannot  tell  you 
how  much  I  was  charmed  by  my  interview  with 
Friend  Hopper.  To  me,  it  was  worth  more  than  all 
the  Fair  beside.  Give  my  most  affectionate  respects 
to  him.  He  very  kindly  invited  me  to  make  his 
house  my  home  when  I  next  come  to  New- York ; 
and  I  am  impatient  for  the  time  to  arrive,  that  I  may 
accept  his  invitation." 

Edmund    Quincy,   writing    to    Friend    Hopper's 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  403 

daughter,  Mrs.  Gibbons,  says:  "You  cannot  think 
how  glad  we  were  to  see  the  dear  old  man.  He 
spent  a  night  with  me,  to  my  great  contentment,  and 
that  of  my  wife ;  and  to  the  no  small  edification  of 
our  little  boy,  to  whom  breeches  and  buckles  were  a 
great  curiosity.  My  Irish  gardener  looked  at  them 
with  reverence ;  having  probably  seen  nothing  so 
aristocratic,  since  he  left  the  old  country.  I  love 
those  relics  of  past  time.  The  Quakers  were  not  so 
much  out,  when  they  censured  their  members  for 
turning  sans  culottes.  Think  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper  in 
a  pair  of  pantaloons  strapped  under  his  feet !  There 
is  heresy  in  the  very  idea.  But,  costume  apart,  We 
were  as  glad  to  see  Father  Hopper,  as  if  he  had 
been  our  real  father  in  the  flesh.  I  hope  he  had  a 
right  good  time.  If  he  had  not,  I  am  sure  it  was 
not  for* want  of  being  made  much  of.  I  trust  his 
visits  to  Boston  will  grow  into  one  of  our  domestic 
institutions." 

In  the  old  gentleman's  account  of  his  visit  to  the 
Fair,  he  says  :  "I  was  struck  with  the  extreme  pro- 
priety with  which  everything  was  conducted,  and 
with  the  universal  harmony  and  good-will  that  pre- 
vailed among  the  numerous  friends  of  the  cause,  who 
had  collected  from  all  parts  of  the  old  Common- 
wealth, on  this  interesting  occasion.  Many  of  the 
most  distinguished  citizens  were  purchasers,  and  ap- 
peared highly  gratified,  though  not  connected  with 


404  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

the  anti-slavery  cause.  Lord  Morpeth,  late  Lord 
Lieutenant  of  Ireland,  attended  frequently,  made 
some  presents  to  the  Fair,  and  purchased  several  ar- 
ticles. 1  would  call  him  by  his  Christian  name,  if  I 
knew  it;  for  it  is  plain  enough  that  he  was  not  bap- 
tized, '  Lord'.  His  manners  were  extremely  friendly 
and  agreeable,  and  he  expressed  himself  highly 
pleased  with  the  exhibition.  I  had  an  interesting 
conversation  with  him  on  the  subject  of  slavery ; 
particularly  in  relation  to  the  Amistad  captives,  and 
the  case  of  the  Creole." 

"I  had  an  opportunity  to  make  a  valuable  addition 
to  my  collection  of  the  works  of  ancient  Friends. 
On  the  book-table,  I  found  that  rare  old  volume, 
'The  Way  Cast  Up,'  written  by  George  Keith, 
while  in  unity  with  the  Society.  I  took  it  home 
with  me  to  my  chamber ;  and  as  I  glanced  over  it, 
my  mind  was  moved  to  a  painful  retrospect  of  the 
Society  of  Friends  in  its  original  state,  when  its 
members  were  at  liberty  to  follow  the  light,  as  mani- 
fested to  them  in  the  silence  and  secrecy  of  their 
own  souls.  I  seemed  to  see  them  entering  places 
appointed  for  worship  by  various  professors,  and 
there  testifying  against  idolatry,  superstition,  and  a 
mercenary  priesthood.  I  saw  them  entering  the 
courts,  calling  upon  judges  and  lawyers  to  do  jus- 
tice. I  saw  them  receive  contumely  and  abuse,  as  a 
reward  for  these  acts  of  dedication.  My  imagina- 


LIFE    OF    ISA4C    T.    HOPPER.  405 

tion  followed  them  to  loathsome  dungeons,  where 
many  of  them  died  a  lingering  death.  I  saw  the 
blood  trickling  from  the  lacerated  backs  of  innocent 
men  and  women.  I  saw  William  Robinson,  Marma- 
duke  Stevenson,  Mary  Dyer,  and  William  Leddra, 
pass  through  the  streets  of  Boston,  pinioned,  and 
with  halters  about  their  necks,  on  the  way  to  execu- 
tion ;  yet  rejoicing  that  they  were  found  worthy  to 
suffer,  even  unto  death,  for  their  fidelity  to  Christ ; 
sustained  through  those  last  bitter  moments  by  an 
approving  conscience  and  the  favor  of  God. 

"I  now  see  the  inhabitants  of  that  same  city  sur- 
passed by  none  on  the  globe,  for  liberality,  candor, 
and  benevolence.  I  see  them  taking  the  lead  of 
very  many  of  the  descendants  of  the  martyrs  refer- 
red to,  in  many  things,  and  at  an  immeasurable  dis- 
tance. I  compared  the  state  of  the  Society  of 
Friends  in  the  olden  time  with  what  it  now  is.  In 
some  sections  of  the  country,  they,  in  their  turn, 
have  become  persecutors.  Not  with  dungeons,  hal- 
ter, and  fire ;  for  those  modes  of  punishment  have 
gone  by ;  but  by  ejecting  their  members  from  reli- 
gious fellowship,  and  defaming  their  characters  for 
doing  that  which  they  conscientiously  believe  is  re- 
quired at  their  hands ;  casting  out  their  names  as 
evil-doers  for  honestly  endeavoring  to  support  one  of 
the  most  dignified  testimonies  ever  given  to  the  So- 
ciety of  Friends  to  hold  up  before  a  sinful  world 


406  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

These  reflections  pained  me  deeply ;  for  all  the  con- 
victions of  my  soul,  and  all  my  early  religious  recol- 
lections, bind  me  fast  to  the  principles  of  Friends ; 
and  I  cannot  but  mourn  to  see  how  the  world  has 
shorn  them  of  their  strength.  I  spent  nearly  a 
sleepless  night,  and  was  baptized  with  my  tears." 

"In  the  morning,  my  mind  was  in  some  degree  re- 
assured with  the  hope  that  there  are  yet  left,  through- 
out the  land,  '  seven  thousand  in  Israel,  all  the  knees 
which  have  not  bowed  unto  Baal,  and  every  mouth 
which  has  not  kissed  him ;'  and  that  among  these 
shall  yet  'arise  judges,  as  at  the  first,  and  counsel- 
lors, and  lawgivers,  as  in  the  beginning.'  My  soul 
longeth  for  the  coming  of  that  day,  more  than  for 
the  increase  of  corn,  and  wine,  and  oil." 

In  the  Spring  of  1843,  Friend  Hopper  visited 
Rhode  Island,  and  Bucks  County,  in  Pennsylvania, 
to  address  the  people  in  behalf  of  the  enslaved.  He 
was  accompanied  by  Lucinda  Wilmarth,  a  very  in- 
telligent and  kind-hearted  young  person,  who  some- 
times spoke  on  the  same  subject.  After  she  returned 
to  her  home  in  Massachusetts,  she  wrote  as  follows, 
to  the  venerable  companion  of  her  mission  ;  "Dear 
Father  Hopper,  I  see  by  the  papers  that  Samuel 
Johnson  has  gone  home.  I  well  remember  our  call 
upon  him,  on  the  second  Sunday  morning  of  our  so- 
journ in  that  land  of  roses.  I  also  remember  his  ra- 
diant and  peaceful  countenance,  which  told  of  a  life 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  407 

well  spent,  and  of  calm  and  hopeful  anticipations  of 
the  future.  I  love  to  dwell  upon  my  visit  to  Penn- 
sylvania. I  never  saw  happier  or  more  lovely 
homes.  Never  visited  dwellings  where  those  little 
household  divinities,  goodness,  order,  and  cheerful- 
ness, held  more  universal  sway  I  was  enabled  to 
>-iew  men  and  things  from  an  entirely  new  point  of 
view.  I  had  previously  seen  nothing  of  Quakerism, 
except  in  a  narrow  orthodox  form,  with  which  I  had 
no  sympathy.  I  was  much  pleased  with  the  appa- 
rent freedom  and  philanthropy  of  the  Friends  I  met 
there.  I  know  not  whether  it  was  their  peculiar  ism, 
that  made  them  so  comparatively  free  and  liberal. 
Perhaps  I  unconsciously  assigned  to  their  Quaker- 
ism what  merely  belonged  to  their  manhood.  But 
the  fact  is,  they  came  nearer  to  realizing  the  ideal  of 
Quakerism,  associated  in  my  mind  with  Fox  and 
Penn,  than  any  people  I  have  ever  seen. 

"I  stopped  at  Providence  on  my  way  home.  As 
"soon  as  I  entered  Isaac  Hale's  door,  little  Alice  be- 
gan to  skip  with  joy,  as  she  did  that  day  when  we 
returned  so  unexpectedly  to  dine  ;  but  the  next  mo- 
ment, she  looked  down  the  stair-case,  and  exclaimed 
in  a  most  anxious  tone,  'Why  did'nt  Grandfather 
Hopper  come  ?  What  did  you  come  alone  for  ? 
What  shall  I  do  ?'  On  my  arrival  home,  the  first 
noisy  greetings  of  my  little  brothers  and  sisters  had 
scarcely  subsided,  before  they  began  to  inquire, 


408  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

'Why  did'nt  your  other  father  come,  too?'  They 
complained  that  you  had  not  written  a  single  '  Tale 
of  Oppression'  for  the  Standard  since  you  were  here. 
But  a  week  after,  my  little  sister  came  running  with 
an  open  newspaper  in  her  hand,  exclaiming,  '  Father 
Hopper  has  made  another  story  !'  She  has  named 
her  doll  for  your  little  granddaughter,  Lucy  Gib- 
bons, because  you  used  to  talk  about  her ;  and  every 
day  she  reads  the  book  you  gave  her." 

Friend  Hopper  found  great  satisfaction  in  the  pe- 
rusal of  the  above  letter,  not  only  on  account  of  his 
great  regard  for  the  writer,  but  because  many  of  the 
Friends  in  Bucks  County  were  the  delight  of  his 
heart.  He  was  always  telling  me  that  if  I  wanted 
to  see  the  best  farms,  the  best  Quakers,  and  the 
most  comfortable  homes  in  the  world,  I  must  go  to 
Bucks  County.  In  his  descriptions,  it  was  a  bloom- 
ing land  of  peace  and  plenty,  approaching  as  near 
to  an  earthly  paradise,  as  could  be  reasonably  ex- 
pected. 

At  the  commencement  of  1845,  the  American 
Anti-Slavery  Society  made  some  changes  in  their 
office  at  New-York,  by  which  the  duties  of  editor 
and  treasurer,  were  performed  by  the  same  person ; 
consequently  Friend  Hopper's  services  were  no 
longer  needed.  When  he  retired  from  the  office 
he  had  held  during  four  vears,  the  Society  unani- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  409 

mously  voted  him  thanks  for  the  fidelity  with  which 
he  had  discharged  the  duties  entrusted  to  him. 

At  that  time,  several  intelligent  and  benevolent 
gentlemen  in  the  city  of  New- York  were  much  in- 
terested in  the  condition  of  criminals  discharged 
from  prisons,  without  money,  without  friends,  and 
with  a  character  so  blasted,  that  it  was  exceedingly 
difficult  to  procure  employment.  However  sincerely 
desirous  such  persons  might  be  to  lead  a  better  life, 
it  seemed  almost  impossible  for  them  to  carry  their 
good  resolutions  into  practice.  The  inconsiderate 
harshness  of  society  forced  them  back  into  dishonest 
courses,  even  when  it  \vas  contrary  to  their  own 
inclinations.  That  this  was  a  fruitful  source  of 
crime,  and  consequently  a  great  increase  of  expense 
to  the  state,  no  one  could  doubt  who  candidly  ex- 
amined the  subject.  To  meet  the  wants  of  this 
class  of  sufferers,  it  was  proposed  to  form  a  Prison 
Association,  whose  business  it  should  be  to  inquire 
into  individual  cases,  and  extend  such  sympathy  and 
assistance  as  circumstances  required.  This  subject 
had  occupied  Friend  Hopper's  mind  almost  as  early 
as  the  wrongs  of  the  slave.  He  attended  the  meet- 
ings, and  felt  a  lively  interest  in  the  discussions,  in 
which  he  often  took  part.  The  editor  of  the  New- 
York  Evening  Mirror,  alluding  to  one  of  these  occa- 
sions, says  :  "When  Mr.  Hopper  rose  to  offer  some 

remarks,  we  thought  the  burst  of  applause  which 
18 


410  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

greeted  the  quaint  old  man,  (in  the  very  costume  oi 
Franklin)  was  a  spontaneous  homage  to  goodness ; 
and  we  thanked  God  and  took  courage  for  poor 
human  nature." 

His  well-known  benevolence,  his  peculiar  tact  in 
managing  wayward  characters,  his  undoubted  integ- 
rity, and  his  long  experience  in  such  matters,  natu- 
rally suggested  the  idea  that  he  was  more  suitable 
than  any  other  person  to  be  Agent  of  the  Association. 
It  was  a  situation  extremely  well-adapted  to  his 
character,  and  if  his  limited  circumstances  would 
have  permitted,  he  would  have  been  right  glad  to 
have  discharged  its  duties  gratuitously.  He  named 
three  hundred  dollars  a  year,  as  sufficient  addition 
to  his  income,  and  the  duties  were  performed  with 
as  much  diligence  and  zeal,  as  if  the  recompence 
had  been  thousands.  Although  he  was  then  seven- 
ty-four years  old,  his  hand-writing  was  firm  and 
even,  and  very  legible.  He  kept  a  Diary  of  every 
day's  transactions,  and  a  Register  of  all  the  dis- 
charged convicts  who  applied  for  assistance ;  with 
a  monthly  record  of  such  information  as  could 
be  obtained  of  their  character  and  condition,  from 
time  to  time.  The  neat  and  accurate  manner  in 
which  these  books  were  kept  was  really  surprising 
in  so  old  a  man.  The  amount  of  walking  he  did,  to 
attend  to  the  business  of  the  Association,  wTas  like- 
wise remarkable.  Not  one  in  ten  thousand,  who 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  411 

had  lived  so  many  years,   could  have  endured  so 
much  fatigue. 

In  his  labors  in  behalf  of  this  class  of  unfortunate 
people  he  was  essentially  aided  by  Abby  H.  Gibbons, 
who  resided  nearer  to  him  than  his  other  daughters, 
and  who  had  the  same  affectionate  zeal  to  sustain 
him,  that  she  had  manifested  by  secretly  slipping  a 
portion  of  her  earnings  into  his  pocket,  in  the  days 
of  her  girlhood.  She  was  as  vigilant  and  active  in 
behalf  of  the  women  discharged  from  prison,  as  her 
father  was  in  behalf  of  the  men.  Through  the  exer- 
tions of  herself  and  other  benevolent  women,  an  asy- 
lum for  these  poor  outcasts,  called  THE  HOME,  was 
established  and  sustained.  Friend  Hopper  took  a 
deep  interest  in  that  institution,  and  frequently  went 
there  on  Sunday  evening,  with  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ters, to  talk  with  the  inmates  in  a  manner  most  likely 
to  soothe  and  encourage  them.  They  were  accus 
tomed  to  call  him  "  Father  Hopper,"  and  always 
came  to  him  for  advice  when  they  were  in  trouble. 

When  the  Prison  Association  petitioned  to  be  in- 
corporated, it  encountered  a  great  deal  of  opposition, 
on  the  ground  that  it  would  be  likely  to  interfere 
with  the  authority  of  the  State  over  prisons.  During 
two  winters,  Friend  Hopper  went  to  Albany  fre- 
quently to  sustain  the  measure.  He  commanded 
respect  and  attention,  by  the  good  sense  of  his  re- 
marks, his  dignified  manner,  and  readiness  of  utter- 


412  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

ance.  The  Legislature  were  more  inclined  to  have 
confidence  in  him,  because  he  was  known  to  be  a 
benevolent,  conscientious  Quaker,  entirely  uncon- 
nected with  party  politics.  In  fact,  the  measure 
was  carried  mainly  by  the  exertion  of  his  personal 
influence.  He  sustained  the  petition  of  the  Associa- 
tion in  a  speech  before  the  Legislature,  which  excit 
ed  much  attention,  and  made  a  deep  impression  on 
those  who  heard  it.  Judge  Edmonds,  who  was  one 
of  the  speakers  on  the  same  occasion,  often  alluded 
to  it  as  a  remarkable  address.  He  said,  "It  elicited 
more  applause,  and  did  more  to  carry  the  end  in 
view,  than  anything  that  was  said  by  more  practised 
public  speakers.  His  eloquence  was  simple  and  di- 
rect, but  most  effective.  If  he  was  humorous,  his 
audience  were  full  of  laughter  ;  if  solemn,  a  death- 
like stillness  reigned ;  if  pathetic,  tears  flowed  all 
around  him.  He  seemed  unconscious  of  his  power 
in  this  respect,  but  I  have  heard  him  many  times  be- 
fore large  assemblies  at  our  Anniversaries,  and  in  the 
chapel  of  the  State  Prison,  and  I  have  been  struck, 
over  and  over  again,  with  the  remarkable  sway  he 
had  over  the  minds  of  those  whom  he  addressed." 

The  business  of  the  Association  made  it  necessary 
for  Friend  Hopper  to  visit  that  city  many  times  after- 
ward. He  came  to  be  so  well  known  there,  and 
was  held  in  such  high  respect,  that  whenever  he 
made  his  appearance  in  the  halls  of  legislation,  the 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  413 

Speaker  sent  a  messenger  to  invite  him  to  take  a 
seat  near  his  own. 

He  often  applied  to  the  Governor  to  exert  his  par- 
doning- power,  where  he  thought  there  were  miti- 
gating circumstances  attending  the  commission  of  a 
crime ;  or  where  the  mind  and  health  of  a  prisoner 
seemed  breaking  down ;  or  where  a  long  course  of 
good  conduct  seemed  deserving  of  reward.  When 
Governor  Young  had  become  sufficiently  acquainted 
with  him  to  form  a  just  estimate  of  his  character,  he 
said  to  him, '"Friend  Hopper,  I  will  pardon  any  con- 
vict, whom  you  say  you  conscientiously  believe  I 
ought  to  pardon.  If  I  err  at  all,  I  prefer  that  it 
should  be  on  the  side  of  mercy.  But  so  many  cases 
press  upon  my  attention,  and  it  is  so  difficult  to 
examine  them  all  thoroughly,  that  it  is  a  great  relief 
to  find  a  man  in  whose  judgment  and  integrity  I 
have  such  perfect  confidence,  as  I  have  in  yours.'' 
On  the  occasion  of  one  of  these  applications  for 
mercy,  the  following  quaint  correspondence  passed 
between  him  and  the  Governor : 

"Esteemed  Friend, 

John  Young : 

,  Thou  mayst  think  this  mode 

of  address  rather  too  familiar ;  but  as  it  is  the  spon- 
taneous effusion  of  my  heart,  and  entirely  congenial 
with  my  feelings,  I  hope  thou  wilt  hold  me  excused. 

Permit  me  to  embrace  this  opportunity  to  con- 


414  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

gratulate  thee  upon  thy  accession  to  the  office  of 
Chief  Magistrate  of  the  State.  I  have  confidence  its 
duties  will  be  faithfully  performed.  •  I  rejoice  that 
thou  hast  had  independence  enough  to  restore  to 
liberty,  and  to  their  families,  those  infatuated  men 
called  Anti-Renters.  Some,  who  live  under  the  old 
dispensation,  that  demanded  '  an  eye  for  an  eye,  and 
a  tooth  for  a  tooth,'  will  doubtless  censure  this  act 
of  justice  and  mercy.  But  another  class  will  be 
glad ;  those  who  have  embraced  the  Christian  faith, 
and  live  under  the  benign  influence  of  its  spirit, 
which  enjoins  forgiveness  of  injuries.  The  approba- 
tion of  such,  accompanied  with  an  approving  con- 
science, will,  I  trust,  more  than  counterbalance  any 
censure  that  may  arise  on  the  occasion. 

The  object  I  particularly  have  in  view  in  address- 
ing thee  now,  is,  to  call  thy  attention  to  the  case  of 
Allen  Lee,  who  was  sentenced  to  twelve  years'  im- 
prisonment for  horse-stealing,  in  Westchester  Coun- 
ty. He  has  served  for  eleven  years  and  two  months 
of  that  time.  It  is  his  first  offence,  and  he  has  con- 
ducted well  during  his  confinement.  His  health  is 
much  impaired,  and  he  has  several  times  had  a  slight 
haemorrhage  of  the  lungs.  Allen's  father  was  a  regu- 
lar teamster  in  the  army  during  all  the  revolutionary 
war.  Though  poor,  he  has  always  sustained  a  fair 
reputation.  He  is  now  ninety  years  old,  and  he  is 
extremely  anxious  to  behold  the  face  of  his  son. 


LIFE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER.  415 

Permit  me,  most  respectfully,  but  earnestly,  to  ask 
thy  early  attention  to  this  case.  The  old  man  is 
confined  to  his  bed,  and  so  low,  that  he  cannot  con- 
tinue many  weeks.  Unless  Allen  is  very  soon  re- 
leased, there  is  no  probability  that  he  will  ever  see 
him.  1  have  no  self-interested  motives  in  this  mat- 
ter, but  am  influenced  solely  by  considerations  of 
humanity.  With  sincere  desires  for  thy  health  and 
happiness,  I  am  very  respectfully  thy  friend, 

"ISAAC  T.  HOPPER." 

Governor  Young  promptly  replied  as  follows. 

"My  worthy  friend,  Isaac  T.  Hopper, 

"I  have  often  thought  of  thee  since  we  last 
met.  I  have  received  thy  letter  ;  and  because  thou 
hast  written  to  me,  and  because  I  know  that  what 
thou  writest  is  always  truth,  and  that  the  old  man, 
before  he  lays  him  down  to  die,  may  behold  the  face 
of  his  son,  I  will  restore  Allen  to  his  kindred.  When 
thou  comest  to  Albany,  I  pray  thee  to  come  and  see 
me.  Very  respectfully  thy  friend,  JOHN  YOUNG." 

The  monitor  within  frequently  impelled  Friend 
Hopper  to  address  the  assembled  convicts  at  Sing 
Sing,  on  Sunday.  The  officers  of  the  establishment 
were  very  willing  to  open  the  way  for  him  ;  for  ac- 
cording to  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Harman  Eldridge, 
the  warden,  "With  all  his  kindness,  and  the  en- 
couragement he  was  always  ready  to  give,  he  was 
guarded  and  cautious  in  the  extreme,  that  nothing 


416  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

should  be  said  to  conflict  with  the  discipline  of  the 
prison."  His  exhortations  rendered  the  prisoners 
more  docile,  and  stimulated  them  to  exertion  by  keep- 
ing hope  alive  in  their  hearts.  On  such  occasions,  I 
have  been  told  that  a  large  portion  of  his  unhappy 
audience  were  frequently  moved  to  tears  ;  and  the 
warmth  of  their  grateful  feelings  was  often  mani- 
fested by  eagerly  pressing  forward  to  shake  hands 
with  him,  whenever  they  received  permission  to  do 
so.  The  friendly  counsel  he  gave  on  such  occasions 
sometimes  produced  a  permanent  effect  on  their 
characters.  In  a  letter  to  his  daughter  Susan,  he 
says:  "One  of  these  poor  fellows  attacked  the  life 
of  the  keeper,  and  I  soon  after  had  a  private  inter- 
view with  him.  He  received  what  I  said  kindly,  but 
declared  that  he  could  not  govern  his  temper.  He 
said  he  had  no  ill-will  toward  the  keeper ;  that  what 
he  did  was  done  in  a  gust  of  passion,  and  he  could 
not  help  it.  I  tried  to  convince  him  that  he  had 
power  to  control  his  temper,  if  he  would  only  exer- 
cise it.  A  year  and  a  half  afterward,  on  First  Day, 
after  meeting,  he  asked  permission  to  speak  to  me. 
He  then  told  me  he  was  convinced  that  what  I  had 
said  to  him  was  true ;  for  he  had  not  given  way  to 
anger  since  I  talked  to  him  on  the  subject.  He 
showed  me  many  certificates  from  the  keepers,  all 
testifying  to  his  good  conduct.  I  hardly  ever  saw  a 
man  more  changed  than  he  is." 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  417 

I  often  heard  my  good  old  friend  describe  these 
scenes  in  the  Prison  Chapel,  with  much  emotion. 
He  used  to  say,  the  feeling  of  confidence  and  safety 
which  prevailed,  was  sometimes  presented  to  his 
mind  in  forcible  contrast  with  the  state  of  things  in 
Philadelphia,  in  1787,  as  related  by  his  worthy 
friend,  Dr.  William  Rogers,  who  was  on  the  commit- 
tee of  the  first  Society  formed  in  this  country  "for 
relieving  the  miseries  of  public  prisons."  That 
kind-hearted  and  conscientious  clergyman  proposed 
to  address  some  religious  exhortation  to  the  prison- 
ers, on  Sunday.  But  the  keeper  was  so  unfriendly 
to  the  exertion  of  such  influence,  that  he  assured 
him  his  life  would  be  in  peril,  and  the  prisoners 
would  doubtless  escape,  to  rob  and  murder  the  citi- 
zens. When  an  order  was  granted  by  the  sheriff  for 
the  performance  of  religious  services,  he  obeyed  it 
very  reluctantly ;  and  he  actually  had  a  loaded  cannon 
mounted  near  the  clergyman,  and  a  man  standing 
ready  with  a  lighted  match  all  the  time  he  was 
preaching.  His  audience  were  arranged  in  a  solid 
column,  directly  in  front  of  the  cannon's  mouth. 
This  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  sermon  ad- 
dressed to  the  assembled  inmates  of  a  State  Prison 
in  this  country. 

Notwithstanding  Friend  Hopper's  extreme  benevo- 
lence, he  was  rarely  imposed  upon.     He  made  it  a 

rule  to  give  very  little  money  to  discharged  convicts. 

18* 


418  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

He  paid  their  board  till  employment  could  be  obtain- 
ed, and  when  they  wished  to  go  to  their  families,  in 
distant  places,  he  procured  free  passage  for  them  in 
steamboats  or  cars ;  which  his  influence  with  cap- 
tains and  conductors  enabled  him  to  do  very  easily. 
If  they  wanted  to  work  at  a  trade,  he  purchased 
tools,  and  hired  a  shop,  when  circumstances  seemed 
to  warrant  such  expenditure.  After  they  became 
well  established  in  business,  they  were  expected  to 
repay  these  loans,  for  the  benefit  of  others  in  the 
same  unfortunate  condition  they  had  been.  Of 
course,  some  who  expected  to  receive  money  when- 
ever they  told  a  pitiful  story,  were  disappointed  and 
vexed  by  these  prudential  regulations.  Among  the 
old  gentleman's  letters,  I  find  one  containing  these 
expressions  :  "  When  I  heard  you  talk  in  the  Prison 
Chapel,  I  thought  there  was  something  for  the  man 
that  had  once  left  the  path  of  honesty  to  hope  for 
from  his  fellow-men ;  but  I  find  that  I  was  greatly 
mistaken.  You  are  men  of  words.  You  can  do  the 
wind-work  first  rate.  But  when  a  man  wants  a  lit- 
tle assistance  to  get  work,  and  get  an  honest  living, 
you  are  not  there.  Now  I  wish  to  know  where 
your  philanthropy  is." 

But  such  instances  were  exceptions.  As  a  general 
rule,  gratitude  was  manifested  for  the  assistance  ren- 
dered in  time  of  need  ;  though  it  was  always  limited 
to  the  urgent  necessities  of  the  case.  One  day, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  419 

the  following  letter,  enclosing  a  dollar  bill  for  the 
Association,  was  addressed  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper : 
"Should  the  humble  mite  here  enclosed  be  the 
means  of  doing  one-sixteenth  part  the  good  to  any 
poor  convict  that  the  sixteenth  of  a  dollar  has  done 
for  me,  which  I  received  through  your  hands  more 
than  once,  when  I  was  destitute  of  money  or  friends, 
then  I  shall  have  my  heart's  desire.  With  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  I  remain  your  most  humble  debtor." 

From  the  numerous  cases  under  Friend  Hopper's 
care,  while  Agent  of  the  Prison  Association,  I  will 
select  a  few  ;  but  I  shall  disguise  the  names,  because 
the  individuals  are  living,  and  I  should  be  sorry  to 
wound  their  feelings  by  any  unnecessary  exposure  of 
past  delinquences. 

C.  R.  about  twenty-nine  years  old,  called  at  the 
office,  and  said  he  had  been  lately  released  from 
Moyamensing  prison  ;  having  been  sentenced  for  two 
years,  on  account  of  selling  stolen  goods.  When 
Friend  Hopper  inquired  whether  it  was  his  first  of- 
fence, he  frankly  answered,  "No.  I  have  been  in 
Sing  Sing  prison  twice  for  grand  larceny.  I  served 
five  years  each  time." 

"Thou  art  still  very  young,"  rejoined  Friend  Hop- 
per ;  "and  it  seems  a  large  portion  of  thy  life  has 
been  spent  in  prison.  I  am  afraid  thou  art  a  bad 
man.  But  I  hope  thou  seest  the  error  of  thy  ways, 


420  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

and  art  now  determined  to  do  better.  Hast  thou  any 
friends  ?" 

He  replied,  "  I  have  a  mother  ;  a  poor  hard-work- 
ing woman,  who  sells  fruit  and  candies  in  the  streets. 
If  you  will  give  me  a  start,  I  will  try  to  lead  an 
honest  life  henceforth ;  for  I  want  to  be  a  comfort 
and  support  to  her.  I  have  no  other  friend  in  the 
world,  and  nobody  to  help  me.  When  I  left  prison, 
I  was  advised  to  come  to  you.  I  am  a  shoemaker  ; 
and  if  I  had  money  to  buy  a  set  of  tools,  I  would 
work  at  my  trade,  and  take  care  of  my  mother." 

Necessary  tools  were  procured  for  him,  and  he 
seemed  very  grateful ;  saying  it  was  the  first  time  in 
his  life  that  he  had  found  any  one  willing  to  help 
him  to  be  honest,  when  he  came  out  of  prison. 
Great  doubts  were  entertained  of  the  success  of  this 
case  ;  because  the  man  had  been  so  many  times  con- 
victed. But  he  occasionally  called  at  the  office,  and 
always  appeared  sober  and  respectable.  A  few 
months  after  his  first  introduction,  he  sent  Friend 
Hopper  a  letter  from  Oswego,  enclosing  seven  dol- 
lars for  his  mother.  He  immediately  delivered  it, 
and  returned  with  a  cheerful  heart  to  enter  it  on  his 
Record ;  adding,  "  The  poor  old  woman  was  much 
pleased  that  her  son  remembered  her,  and  said  she 
believed  he  was  now  going  to  do  well." 

After  that,  C.  R.  frequently  sent  five  or  ten  dol- 
lars to  his  mother,  through  the  same  channel,  and 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

paid  her  rent  punctually.  He  refunded  all  the  mo 
ney  the  Association  had  lent  him,  and  made  some 
small  donations,  in  token  of  gratitude.  Having  be- 
haved in  a  very  exemplary  manner  during  four  years 
and  a  half,  Friend  Hopper,  at  his  earnest  request, 
applied  to  the  Governor  to  have  all  the  rights  of  citi- 
zenship restored  to  him.  This  was  readily  obtained 
by  a  full  and  candid  statement  of  the  case.  It  is 
entered  on  the  Record,  with  this  remark:  "C.  R. 
has  experienced  a  wonderful  change  for  the  better 
since  he  first  called  upon  us.  He  said  he  should  al- 
ways remember  the  kindness  that  had  been  extended 
to  him,  and  hoped  he  should  never  do  anything  to 
make  us  regret  it." 

He  afterward  opened  a  store,  with  a  partner,  and 
up  to  this  present  time,  is  doing  well,  both  in  a  moral 
and  worldly  point  of  view.  Five  years  and  a  half 
after  he  began  to  reform,  Dr.  Russ,  of  New- York, 
sent  a  discharged  prisoner  to  him,  in  search  of  work. 
He  wrote  in  reply,  as  follows  :  "  I  have  obtained 
good  employment  for  the  bearer  of  your  note  ;  and 
it  gives  me  much  pleasure  at  my  heart  to  do  some- 
thing for  him  that  wishes  to  do  well.  So  leave  him 
to  me  ;  and  I  trust  you  will  be  gratified  to  know  the 
end  of  charity  from  a  discharged  convict."  A  week 
elapsed  before  the  man  could  enter  on  his  new  em- 
ployment ;  and  C.  R.  paid  his  board  during  that 
time. 


422  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

A  person,  whom  I  will  call  Michael  Stanley,  was 
sentenced  to  Sing  Sing  for  two  years ;  being  con- 
victed of  grand  larceny  when  he  was  about  twenty- 
two  years  old.  When  his  term  expired,  he  called 
upon  the  Prison  Association,  and  obtained  assistance 
in  procuring  employment.  He  endeavored  to  estab- 
lish a  good  character,  and  was  so  fortunate  as  to  gain 
the  affections  of  a  very  orderly,  industrious  young 
woman,  whom  he  soon  after  married.  In  his  Regis- 
ter, Friend  Hopper  thus  describes  a  visit  to  them, 
little  more  than  a  year  after  he  was  discharged  from 
prison:  "I  called  yesterday  to  visit  M.  S.  He 
lives  in  the  upper  part  of  a  brick  house,  nearly  new. 
His  wife  is  a  neat,  likely-looking  woman,  and  ap- 
pears to  be  a  nice  housekeeper.  Everything  about 
the  premises  indicates  frugality,  industry,  and  com- 
fort. They  have  plain,  substantial  furniture,  and  a 
good  carpet  on  the  floor.  Before  their  door  is  a 
grass-plot,  and  the  margin  of  the  fence  is  lined  with 
a  variety  of  plants  in  bloom.  He  and  his  wife,  and 
her  mother,  manifested  much  gratification  at  my  vi- 
sit." 

In  little  more  than  two  years  after  he  began  to  re- 
trieve the  early  mistakes  of  his  life,  M.  S.  establish- 
ed a  provision  shop  on  his  own  account,  in  the  city 
of  New- York,  and  was  successful.  He  and  his  tidy 
little  wife  called  on  Friend  Hopper,  from  time  to 
time,  and  always  cheered  his  heart  by  their  respecta- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  423 

ble  appearance,  and  the  sincere  gratitude  they  mani- 
fested. The  following  record  stands  in  the  Regis- 
ter :  "M.  S.  called  at  my  house,  and  spent  an  hour 
with  me.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Metho- 
dists, and  I  really  believe  he  is  a  reformed  man.  It 
is  now  more  than  four  years  and  a  half  since  he  was 
released  from  Sing  Sing ;  and  his  conduct  has  ever 
since  been  unexceptionable." 

Another  young  man,  whom  I  will  call  Hans  Over- 
ton,  was  the  son  of  very  respectable  parents,  but  un- 
fortunately he  formed  acquaintance  with  unprinci- 
pled men  when  he  was  too  young  and  inexperienced 
to  be  a  judge  of  character.  Being  corrupted  by 
their  influence,  he  forged  a  check  on  a  bank  in  Alba- 
ny. He  was  detected,  and  sentenced  to  the  State 
Prison  for  two  years.  When  he  was  released,  at 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  did  the  best  he  could  to 
efface  the  blot  on  his  reputation.  But  after  having 
obtained  respectable  employment,  he  was  discharged 
because  his  employer  was  told  he  had  been  in  prison. 
He  procured  another  situation,  and  the  same  thing 
again  occurred.  He  began  to  think  there  was  no 
use  in  trying  to  redeem  his  lost  character.  In  this 
discouraged  state  of  mind,  he  applied  to  the  Prison 
Association  for  assistance.  Inquiries  were  made  of 
the  two  gentlemen  in  whose  employ  he  had  been 
more  than  a  year.  They  said  they  had  found  him 
capable,  industrious,  and  faithful ;  and  their  distrust 


424  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

of  him  was  founded  solely  on  the  fact  of  his  being  a 
discharged  convict.     For  some  time,  he  obtained  on- 
ly temporary  employment,  now  and  then  ;  and  the 
Association  lent  him  small  sums  of  money  whenever 
his  necessities  required.     At  one  time,  he  was  charg- 
ed with  being  an  accomplice  in  a  larceny ;  but  upon 
investigation,  it  was  ascertained  that  he  had  become 
mixed  up  with  an  affair,  which  made  him  appear  to 
disadvantage,  though  he  had  no  dishonest  intentions 
in  relation  to  it.     Finally,  through  the  influence  of 
the  Association  he  obtained  a  situation,  in  a  drug 
store.     His  employer  was  fully  informed  concerning 
his  previous  history,  but  was  willing  to  take  him  on 
trial.     He  remained  there  five  years,  and  conducted 
in  the   most   exemplary  manner.     Having  married 
meanwhile,  he  was  desirous  to  avail  himself  of  aa 
opportunity  to  obtain  a  higher  salary ;  and  the  drug- 
gist very  willingly  testified  that  his  conduct  had  been 
entirely  satisfactory  during  the  time  he  had  been 
with  him.     But  in  about  eight  months,  his  new  em- 
ployer discovered  that  he  had  been  in  prison,  and  he 
immediately  told  him  he  had  better  procure  some 
other   situation ;  though   he  acknowledged  that  he 
had    no   fault   to   find   with  him.     Friend   Hopper 
sought  an  interview  with  this  gentleman  and  repre- 
sented the  youthfulness  of  H.  O.  at  the  time  he  com- 
mitted the  misdemeanor,  which  had  so  much  injured 
the  prospects  of  his  life.     He  urged  his  subsequent 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  425 

good  conduct,  and  the  apparent  sincerity  of  his  ef- 
forts to  build  up  a  reputation  for  honesty.  He  final- 
ly put  the  case  home  to  him,  by  asking  how  he 
would  like  to  have  others  conduct  toward  a  son  of 
his  own,  under  similar  circumstances.  It  was  a 
point  'of  view  from  which  the  gentleman  had  never 
before  considered  the  question,  and  his  mind  was 
somewhat  impressed  by  it ;  but  his  prejudices  were 
not  easily  overcome.  Meanwhile,  the  druggist  was 
very  willing  to  receive  the  young  man  back  again  ; 
and  he  returned.  It  seems  as  if  it  would  have  been 
almost  impossible  for  him  to  have  avoided  sinking  in- 
to the  depths  of  discouragement  and  desperation,  if 
he  had  not  received  timely  assistance  from  the  Prison 
Association.  How  highly  he  appreciated  their  aid 
may  be  inferred  from  the  following  letter  to  Isaac  T. 
Hopper : 

"My  dear  friend,  as  business  prevents  me  from  see-* 
ing  you  in  the  day-time,  I  take  this  method  to  express 
my  thanks  for  the  noble  and  generous  mention  made 
of  me  in  your  remarks  before  the  Association  ;  which 
remarks  were  as  pleasant  and  exciting  to  me,  as  they 
were  unexpected.  I  need  scarcely  assure  you,  my 
kind  and  generous  friend,  (generous  not  only  to  so 
humble  an  individual  as  myself,  but  to  all  your  fel- 
low creatures,)  that  it  is  out  of  my  power  to  find 
words  to  thank  you  adequately,  or  to  express  my 
feelings  on  that  occasion.  I  was  the  more  gratified 


426  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

because  my  dear  wife  was  present  with  me,  and  also 
my  brother-in-law.  Oh,  what  a  noble  work  the  So- 
ciety is  engaged  in.  My  most  fervent  prayer  is  that 
your  name  may  remain  on  its  list  for  many  years  to 
come.  Then  indeed  should  I  have  no  fears  for  those 
poor  unfortunates,  whose  first  unthinking  error  pla- 
ces them  unconditionally  within  the  miasma  of  vice 
and  crime.  That  you  may  enjoy  a  very  merry 
Christmas,  and  many  happy  New-Years,  is  the  sin- 
cere desire  of  my  wife  and  myself." 

T.  B.,  who  has  been  for  several  years  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Association,  was  raised  by  their  aid  from 
the  lowest  depths  of  intemperance,  and  has  become 
a  highly  respectable  and  useful  citizen. 

J.JVL,  who  was  in  Sing  Sing  Prison  four  years,  for 
grand  larceny,  was  aided  by  the  Association  at  vari- 
ous times,  and  always  repaid  the  money  precisely  at 
'the  appointed  day.  His  industry  and  skilful  man- 
agement excited  envy  arid  jealousy  in  some,  who  had 
less  faculty  for  business.  They  taunted  him  with 
having  been  a  convict,  and  threw  all  manner  of  ob- 
stacles in  the  way  of  his  making  an  honest  living. 
Among  other  persecutions,  a  suit  at  law  was  institut- 
ed against  him,  which  cost  him  seventy-five  dollars. 
The  charge  wras  entirely  without  foundation,  and 
when  brought  before  the  court,  was  promptly  dis- 
missed. It  is  now  about  six  years  since  J.  M.  re 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  427 

solved  to  retrieve  his  character,  and  he  still  perse- 
veres in  the  right  course. 

Ann  W.  was  an  illegitimate  child,  and  early  left 
an  orphan.  She  went  to  live  with  an  aunt,  who  kept 
a  boarding-house  in  Albany.  According  to  her  own 
account,  she  was  harshly  treated,  and  frequently 
taunted  with  the  circumstances  of  her  birth.  At  the 
early  age  of  fourteen,  one  of  the  boarders  offered  to 
marry  her,  and  induced  her  to  leave  the  house  with 
him.  She  lived  with  him  some  time,  always  urging 
the  fulfilment  of  his  promise  ;  and  at  last  he  pacified 
her  by  going  to  a  person,  who  performed  the  mar- 
riage-ceremony. She  was  strongly  attached  to  him, 
and  being  a  capable,  industrious  girl,  she  kept  every- 
thing nice  and  bright  about  their  lodgings.  He 
pretended  to  have  a  great  deal  of  business  in  New- 
York  ;  but  in  fact  his  frequent  visits  to  that  city 
were  for  purposes  of  gambling.  On  one  of  those 
occasions,  when  he  had  been  absent  much  longer 
than  usual,  she  followed  him,  and  found  him  living 
with  another  woman.  He  very  coolly  informed  her 
that  the  marriage-ceremony  between  them  was  a 
mere  sham  ;  the  person  who  performed  it  not  having 
been  invested  with  any  legal  authority.  Thus  be 
trayed,  deserted,  and  friendless,  the  poor  young 
creature  became  almost  frantic.  In  that  desperate 
state  of  mind,  she  was  decoyed  by  a  woman,  who 
kept  a  disreputable  house.  A  short  career  of  reck- 


428  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

less  frivolity  and  vice  ended,  as  usual,  in  the  hospital 
on  Blackwell's  Island.  When  she  was  discharged, 
she  tried  to  drown  her  sorrow  and  remorse  in  intem- 
perance, and  went  on  ever  from  bad  to  worse,  till 
she  became  a  denizen  of  Five  Points.  In  her  brief 
intervals  of  sobriety,  she  was  thoroughly  disgusted 
with  herself,  and  earnestly  desired  to  lead  a  better 
life.  Being  turned  into  the  street  one  night,  in  a 
state  of  intoxication,  she  went  to  the  prison  called 
The  Tombs,  because  its  architecture  is  in  imitation 
of  the  ancient  sepulchral  halls  of  Egypt.  She  hum- 
bly asked  permission  to  enter  this  gloomy  abode,  in 
hopes  that  some  of  the  ladies  connected  with  the 
Prison  Association  would  visit  her,  and  find  some 
decent  employment  for  her.  Her  case  being  repre- 
sented to  Friend  Hopper,  he  induced  his  wife  to 
take  her  into  the  family,  as  a  domestic.  As  soon  as 
she  entered  the  house,  she  said,  "I  don't  want  to 
deceive  you.  I  will  tell  you  everything."  And  she 
told  all  the  particulars  of  her  history,  without  at- 
tempting to  veil  any  of  its  deformity.  She  was  very 
industrious,  and  remarkably  tidy  in  her  habits.  She 
kept  the  kitchen  extremely  neat,  and  loved  to  deco- 
rate it  with  little  ornaments,  especially  with  flowers. 
Poor  shattered  soul !  Who  can  tell  into  what  blos- 
som of  poetry  that  little  germ  might  have  expanded, 
if  it  had  been  kindly  nurtured  under  gentle  and  re 
fining  influences  ?  She  behaved  very  well  for  several 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  429 

months,  and  often  expressed  gratitude  that  she  could 
now  feel  as  if  she  had  a  home.  Friend  Hopper  took 
great  interest  in  her,  and  had  strong  hopes  that  she 
would  become  a  respectable  woman.  Before  a  year 
expired,  she  relapsed  into  intemperate  habits  for  a 
time  ;  but  he  overlooked  it,  and  encouraged  her  to 
forget -it.  As  she  often  expressed  a  great  desire  to 
see  her  cousins  in  Albany,  he  called  upon  them,  and 
told  the  story  of  her  reformation.  They  sent  some 
little  presents,  accompanied  with  friendly  messages, 
and  after  a  while  invited  her  to  visit  them.  For  a 
time,  it  seemed  as  if  the  excursion  had  done  her 
good,  both  physically  and  mentally ;  but  the  sight  of 
respectable  relatives,  with  husbands  and  children,, 
made  her  realize  more  fully  the  utter  loneliness  of 
her  own  position.  She  used  opium  in  large  quanti- 
ties, and  had  dreadful  fits  in  consequence.  Some- 
times, she  stole  out  of  the  house  in  the  evening,  and 
was  taken  up  by  the  police  in  a  state  of  intoxication. 
Whdh  she  recovered  her  senses,  she  would  be  very 
humble,  and  during  an  interval  of  weeks,  or  months, 
would  make  an  effort  to  behave  extremely  well.  I 
forget  how  often  Friend  Hopper  received  her  back, 
after  she  had  spent  the  night  in  the  Station  House  ; 
but  it  was  many,  many  times.  His  patience  held 
out  long  after  everybody  else  was  completely  weary. 
She  finally  became  so  violent  and  ungovernable,  and 
endangered  the  household  so  much  in  her  frantic  fits, 


430  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

that  even  he  felt  the  necessity  of  placing  her  under 
the  restraining  influences  of  some  public  institution. 
The  Magdalen  Asylum  at  Philadelphia  consented  to 
receive  her,  and  after  much  exhortation,  she  was 
persuaded  to  go.  While  she  was  there,  his  daughters 
in  that  city  called  on  her  occasionally,  at  his  request, 
and  he  and  his  wife  made  her  a  visit.  He  wrote  to 
her  frequently,  in  the  kindest  and  most  encouraging 
manner.  In  one  of  these  epistles,  he  says:  "I  make 
frequent  inquiries  concerning  thee,  and  am  generally 
told  thou  art  getting  along  pretty  well.  Now  I  want 
to  hear  a  different  tale  from  that.  I  want  thy 
friends  at  the  Asylum  to  be  able  to  say,  'She  is 
doing  exceedingly  well.  Her  health  is  good,  she  is 
satisfied  with  her  condition,  and  we  are  all  much 
gratified  to  find  that  she  submits  to  the  advice  of  her 
friends.'  When  they  can  speak  thus  of  thee,  I  shall 
begin  to  think  about  changing  thy  situation.  The 
woman  who  fills  thy  place  in  my  family  does  very 
well.  Every  day,  she  puts  on  the  table  the  mug 
thou  gavest  me,  and  she  keeps  it  as  bright  as  silver. 
Our  little  garden  looks  beautiful.  The  Morning 
Glories,  thou  used  to  take  so  much  pleasure  in, 
have  grown  finely.  All  the  family  desire  kind  re- 
membrances. Farewell.  May  peace  and  comfort 
be  with  thee." 

In  another  letter,  he  says  :  "  Thy  Heavenly  Father 
has  been  kind,  and  waited  long  for  thee;  and  He  has 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  431 

now  provided  a  way  for  thy  redemption  from  the 
bondage  under  which  thou  hast  suffered  so  much.  I 
hope  thou  wilt  not  think  of  leaving  the  Asylum  for 
some  time  to  come.  Thou  canst  not  be  so  firmly 
established  yet,  as  not  to  be  under  great  temptation 
elsewhere.  What  a  sorrowful  circumstance  it  would 
be,  if  thou  shouldst  again  return  to  the  filthy  and 
wicked  habit  of  stupifying  thyself  with  that  per- 
nicious drug !  I  am  glad  thou  hast  determined  to 
take  my  advice.  If  thou  wilt  do  so,  I  will  never 
forsake  thee.  I  will  do  all  I  can  for  thee  ;  arid  thou 
shalt  never  be  without  a  home." 

Again  he  writes  :  "Thy  letter  occasioned  joy  arid 
sorrow.  Sorrow  to  find  thou  hast  not  always  treated 
the  matron  as  thou  oughtest  to  have  done.  I  am 
sure  that  excellent  person  is  every  way  worthy  of 
thy  regard  ;  and  I  hope  my  ears  will  never  again  be 
pained  by  hearing  that  thou  hast  treated  her  un- 
kindly or  disrespectfully.  I  did  hope  that  after  a 
year's  discipline,  thou  hadst  learned  to  control  thy 
temper.  Until  thou  canst  do  so,  thou  must  be 
aware  that  thou  art  not  qualified  to  render  thyself 
useful  or  agreeable  in  any  family.  But  after  all,  I 
am  glad  to  find  that  thou  art  sensible  of  thy  error, 
and  hast  a  disposition  to  improve.  When  thou 
liest  down  at  night,  I  want  thee  to  examine  the 
deeds  of  the  past  day.  If  thou  hast  made  a  hasty 
reply,  or  spoken  impertinently,  or  done  wrong  in  any 


432  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

other  way,  be  careful  to  acknowledge  thy  fault. 
Ask  thy  Heavenly  Father  to  forgive  thee,  and  be 
careful  to  do  so  no  more.  I  feel  a  great  regard  for 
thee  ;  and  I  trust  thou  wilt  never  give  me  cause  to 
regret  thy  relapse  into  vice.  I  hope  better  things 
for  thee,  and  I  always  shall." 

But  his  hopefulness  and  patience  proved  of  no 
avail  in  this  instance.  The  wreck  was  too  complete 
to  admit  of  repair.  The  poor  creature  occasionally 
struggled  hard  to  do  better;  but  her  constitution 
was  destroyed  by  vice  and  hardship ;  her  feelings 
were  blunted  by  suffering,  and  her  naturally  bright 
faculties  were  stupified  by  opium.  After  she  left  the 
Asylum,  she  lived  with  a  family  in  the  country  for 
awhile ;  but  the  old  habits  returned,  and  destroyed 
what  little  strength  she  had  left.  The  last  I  knew 
of  her  she  was  on  Blackwell's  Island  ;  and  she  will 
probably  never  leave  it,  till  she  goes  where  the  weary 
are  at  rest. 

An  uncommon  degree  of  interest  was  excited  in 
Friend  Hopper's  mind  by  the  sufferings  of  another 
individual,  whom  I  will  call  Julia  Peters.  She  was 
born  of  respectable  parents,  and  was  carefully  tended 
in  her  early  years.  Her  mother  was  a  prudent,  re- 
ligious-minded woman  ;  but  she  died  when  Julia  was 
twelve -years  old.  The  father  soon  after  took  to 
drinking  and  gambling,  and  spent  all  the  property  he 
possessed.  His  daughter  was  thus  brought  into  the 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  433 

midst  of  profligate  associates,  at  an  age  when  im- 
pulses are  strong,  and  the  principles  unformed.  She 
led  a  vicious  life  for  several  years,  and  during  a  fit 
of  intoxication  married  a  worthless,  dissipated  fellow. 
When  she  was  eighteen  years  old,  she  was  im- 
prisoned for  perjury.  The  case  appeared  doubtful 
at  the  time,  and  from  circumstances,  which  after- 
ward came  to  light,  it  is  supposed  that  she  was  not 
guilty  of  the  alleged  crime.  The  jury  could  not 
agree  on  the  first  trial,  and  she  remained  in  jail  two 
years,  awaiting  a  decision  of  her  case.  She  was  at 
last  pronounced  guilty ;  and  feeling  that  injustice 
was  done  her,  she  made  use  of  violent  and  disre- 
spectful language  to  the  court.  This  probably  in- 
creased the  prejudice  against  her  ;  for  she  was  sen- 
tenced to  Sing  Sing  prison  for  the  long  term  of  four- 
teen years.  She  was  naturally  intelligent,  active  and 
energetic ;  and  the  limitations  of  a  prison  had  a 
worse  effect  upon  her,  than  they  would  have  had  on 
a  more  stolid  temperament.  In  the  course  of  a  year 
or  two,  her  mind  began  to  sink  under  the  pressure, 
and  finally  exhibited  signs  of  melancholy  insanity. 
Friend  Hopper  had  an  interview  with  her  soon  after 
she  was  conveyed  to  Sing  Sing,  and  found  her  in  a 
tate  of  deep  dejection.  She  afterward  became  com- 
pletely deranged,  and  was  removed  to  the  Lunatic 
Asylum  at  Bloomingdale.  He  and  his  wife  visited 

her  there,  and  found  her  in  a  state  of  temporary 
19 


434  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

rationality.  Her  manners  were  quiet  and  pleasing, 
and  she  appeared  exceedingly  gratified  to  see  them. 
The  superintendent  granted  permission  to  take  her  with 
them  in  a  walk  through  the  grounds,  and  she  enjoyed 
this  little  excursion  very  highly.  But  when  one  of 
the  company  remarked  that  it  was  a  very  pleasant 
place,  she  sighed  deeply,  and  replied,  "Yes,  it  is  a 
pleasant  place  to  those  who  can  leave  it.  But  chains 
are  chains,  though  they  are  made  of  gold  ;  and  mine 
grow  heavier  every  day." 

Her  temperament  peculiarly  required  freedom,  and 
chafed  and  fretted  under  restraint.  Insanity  returned 
upon  her  with  redoubled  force,  soon  after.  She  used 
blasphemous  and  indecent  language,  and  cut  up  her 
blankets  to  make  pantaloons.  She  picked  the  lock 
of  her  room,  and  tried  various  plans  of  escape. 
When  Friend  Hopper  went  to  see  her  again,  some 
weeks  later,  he  found  her  in  the  masculine  attire, 
which  she  had  manufactured.  She  tried  to  hide 
herself,  but  when  he  called  her  back  in  a  gentle,  but 
firm  tone,  she  came  immediately.  He  took  her 
kindly  by  the  hand,  and  said,  "Julia,  what  does  all 
this  mean?" 

"It  is  military  costume,"  she  replied.  "I  am  an 
officer  of  state." 

"I  am  sorry  thou  art  not  more  decently  clad," 
said  he.  "I  intended  to  have  thee  take  a  walk  with 
me ;  but  I  should  be  ashamed  to  go  with  thee  in 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  435 

that  condition."  She  earnestly  entreated  to  go,  and 
promised  to  change  her  dress  immediately.  He 
accordingly  waited  till  she  was  ready,  and  then 
spent  more  than  an  hour  walking  round  the  grounds 
with  her.  She  told  him  the  history  of  her  life,  and 
wept  bitterly  over  the  retrospect  of  her  erroneous 
course.  It  seemed  a  great  relief  to  have  some  one 
to  whom  she  could  open  her  over-burdened  heart. 
She  was  occasionally  incoherent,  but  the  fresh  air 
invigorated*  her,  and  the  quiet  talk  soothed  her  per- 
turbed feelings.  At  parting,  she  said,  "I  thank  you. 
I  thought  I  had  n't  a  friend  in  the  world.  I  was 
afraid  everybody  had  forgotten  me." 

"I  am  thy  sincere  friend,"  he  replied;  "and  I 
promise  that  I  will  never  forget  thee." 

I  make  the  following  extract  from  a  letter,  which 
he  wrote  to  her  soon  after :  "  Now,  Julia,  listen  to 
me,  and  mind  what  I  say ;  for  thou  knowest  I  am 
thy  friend.  I  want  thee,  at  all  times,  and  upon  all 
occasions,  to  be  very  careful  of  thy  conduct.  Never 
suffer  thyself  to  use  vulgar  or  profane  language.  It 
would  grieve  me,  and  I  am  sure  thou  dost  not  wish 
to  do  that.  Besides,  it  is  very  degrading,  and  very 
wicked.  Be  discreet,  sober,  and  modest.  Be  kind, 
courteous,  and  obliging  to  all.  Thou  wilt  make 
many  friends  by  so  doing,  and  wilt  feel  more  cheer- 
ful and  happy  thyself.  Do  be  a  lady.  I  know  thou 
canst,  if  thou  wilt.  More  than  all,  I  want  thee  to  be 


436  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

a  Christian.     I  sympathize  with  thee,  and  intend  to 
come  and  see  thee  soon." 

Dr.  Earle,  physician  of  the  Asylum,  said  the  letter 
had  a  salutary  effect  upon  her.  Friend  Hopper 
went  out  to  see  her  frequently,  and  was  often  ac- 
companied by  his  wife,  or  daughters.  Her  bodily 
and  mental  health  continued  to  improve  ;  and  in  the 
course  of  five  or  six  months,  the  doctor  allowed  her 
to  accompany  her  kind  old  friend  to  the  city,  and 
spend  a  day  and  night  at  his  house.  This  change  of 
scene  was  found  so  beneficial,  that  the  visit  was 
repeated  a  few  weeks  after.  Before  winter  set  in, 
she  was  so  far  restored  that  she  spent  several  days 
in  his  family,  and  conducted  with  the  greatest  pro- 
priety. He  soon  after  applied  to  the  Governor  for  a 
pardon,  which  was  promptly  granted.  His  next  step 
was  to  procure  a  suitable  home  for  her ;  and  a 
worthy  Quaker  family  in  Pennsylvania,  who  were 
acquainted  with  all  the  circumstances,  agreed  to 
employ  her^s  chambermaid  and  seamstress.  When 
it  was  all  arranged,  Friend  Hopper  went  out  to  the 
Asylum  to  carry  the  news.  But  fearful  of  exciting 
her  too  much,  he  talked  upon  indifferent  subjects  for 
a  few  minutes,  and  then  asked  if  she  would  like  to 
go  into  the  city  again  to  spend  a  fortnight  with  his 
family.  She  replied,  "Indeed  I  would."  He  pro- 
mised to  take  her  with  him,  and  added,  "Perhaps 
thou  wilt  stay  longer  than  two  weeks."  At  last,  he 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  437 

said,  "It  may  be  that  thou  wilt  not  have  to  return 
here  again.  She  sprang-  up  instantly,  and  looking  in 
his  face  with  intense  anxiety,  exclaimed,  "Am  I 
pardoned  ?  Am  I  pardoned  ? " 

"Yes,  thou  art  pardoned,"  he  replied  ;  "and  I  have 
come  to  take  thee  home."  She  fell  back  into  her 
seat,  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  and  wept 
aloud.  Friend  Hopper,  describing  this  interview  in 
a  letter  to  a  friend,  says  :  "It  was  the  most  affect- 
ing scene  I  ever  witnessed.  Nothing  could  exceed 
the  joy  I  felt  at  seeing  this  child  of  sorrow  relieved 
from  her  sufferings,  and  restored  to  liberty.  I  had 
seen  this  young  and  comely  looking  woman,  who 
was  endowed  with  more  than  common  good  sense, 
driven  to  the  depths  of  despair  by  the  intensity  of 
her  sufferings.  I  had  seen  her  a  raving  maniac. 
Now,  I  saw  her  'sitting  and  clothed  in  her  right 
mind.'  I  was  a  thousand  times  more  than  compen- 
sated for  all  the  pains  I  had  taken.  I  had  sympa- 
thized deeply  with  her  sufferings,  and  I  now  partook 
largely  of  her  joy." 

As  her  nerves  were  in  a  very  excitable  state,  it 
was  thought  best  that  she  should  remain  a  few  weeks 
under  the  superintendence  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Gib- 
bons, before  she  went  to  the  home  provided  for  her. 
She  was  slightly  unsettled  at  times,  but  was  disposed 
to  be  industrious  and  cheerful.  Having  earned  a  lit- 
tle money  by  her  needle,  the  first  use  she  made  of  it, 


438  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

was  to  buy  a  pair  of  vases  for  Friend  Hopper ;  and 
proud  and  pleased  she  was,  when  she  brought  them 
home  and  presented  them  !  He  always  kept  them 
on  the  parlor  mantel-piece,  and  often  told  their  histo- 
ry to  people  who  called  upon  him. 

When  she  had  become  perfectly  calm  and  settled, 
he  and  his  wife  accompanied  her  to  Pennsylvania, 
and  saw  her  established  among  her  new  friends,  who 
received  her  in  the  kindest  manner.  A  week  after 
his  return,  he  wrote  to  assure  her  that  his  interest  in 
her  had  not  abated.  In  the  course  of  the  letter,  he 
says  :  "I  need  not  tell  thee  how  anxious  I  am  that 
thou  shouldst  conduct  so  as  to  be  a  credit  to  thyself, 
and  to  those  who  have  interested  themselves  in  thy 
behalf.  I  felt  keenly  at  parting  with  thee,  but  I  was 
comforted  by  the  reflection  that  I  had  left  thee  with 
kind  friends.  Confide  in  them  upon  all  occasions, 
and  do  nothing  without  their  advice.  Thy  future 
happiness  will  depend  very  much  upon  thyself.  Never 
suffer  thy  mind  to  become  excited.  Remember 
that  kind  friends  were  raised  up  for  thee  in  the  midst 
of  all  thy  sorrows,  and  that  they  will  always  continue 
to  be  thy  friends,  if  thou  wilt  be  guided  by  their 
counsels.  Thou  wert  with  us  so  long,  that  we  feel 
toward  thee  like  one  of  the  family.  All  join  me  in 
love  to  thee." 

In  her  reply,  she  says  :     "  Your  letter  was  to  me 
what  a  glass  of  cold  water  would  be  when  fainting. 


LIFE    OF   ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  439 

I  have  pored  over  it  so  much,  that  I  have  got  it  by 
heart.  Friend  Hopper,  you  first  saw  me  in  prison 
and  visited  me.  You  followed  me  to  the  Asylum. 
You  did  not  forsake  me.  You  have  changed  a  bed 
of  straw  to  a  bed  of  down.  May  Heaven  bless  and 
reward  you  for  it.  No  tongue  can  express  the  grati- 
tude I  feel.  Many  are  the  hearts  you  have  made 
glad.  Suppose  all  you  have  dragged  out  of  one 
place  and  another  were  to  stand  before  you  at  once  ! 
I  think  you  would  have  more  than  you  could  shake 
hands  with  in  a  month  ;  and  I  know  you  would  shake 
hands  with  them  all." 

For  a  few  months,  she  behaved  in  a  very  satisfac- 
tory manner,  though  occasionally  unsettled  and  de- 
pressed. She  wrote  that  the  worthy  woman  with 
whom  she  lived  was  '  both  mother  and  friend  to  her.' 
But  the  country  was  gloomy  in  the  winter,  and  the 
spirit  of  unrest  took  possession  of  her.  She  went  to 
Philadelphia  and  plunged  into  scenes  of  vice  for  a 
week  or  two ;  but  she  quickly  repented,  and  was 
rescued  by  her  friends.  I  have  seldom  seen  Friend 
Hopper  so  deeply  pained  as  he  was  by  this  retrograde 
step  in  one  whom  he  had  rejoiced  over,  "as  a  brand 
plucked  from  the  burning."  After  awhile,  he  ad- 
dressed a  letter  to  her,  in  which  he  says  :  "I  should 
have  written  to  thee  before,  but  I  have  been  at  a  loss 
what  to  say.  I  have  cared  for  thee,  as  if  thou  hadst 
been  my  own  child.  Little  did  I  think  thou  wouldst 


440  LIFE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 

ever  disgrace  thyself,  and  distress  me,  by  associating 
with  the  most  vile.    Thou  wert  wonderfully  snatched 
from  a  sink  of  pollution.     I  hoped  thou  wouldst  ap- 
preciate the  favor,  and  take  a  fresh  start  in  life,  de- 
termined to  do  well.     Better,  far  better,  for  thee  to 
have  lingered  out  a  wretched  existence  in  Blooming- 
dale  Asylum,  than  to  continue  in  such  a  course  as 
that  thou  entered  upon  in  Philadelphia.     My  heart  is 
pained  while  I  write.     Indeed,  thou  art  seldom  out 
of  my  mind.     Most  earnestly,   and   affectionately,  1 
beseech  thee  to  change  thy  course.     Restrain   evil 
thoughts  and  banish  them  from  thee.    Try  to  keep 
thy  mind  quiet,  and  stayed  upon  thy  Heavenly  Fa- 
ther.    He  has  done  much  for  thee.     He  has  follow- 
ed thee  in  all   thy   wanderings.     Ask  him  to   for- 
give thy  iniquity,  and  he  will  have  mercy  on  thee. 
Thou  mayest  yet  be  happy  thyself,  and  make  those 
happy  who  have  taken  a  deep  interest  in  thy  welfare. 
But  if  thou  art  determined  to  pursue  evil  courses,  af- 
ter all  that  has  been  done  for  thee,  let  me  tell  thee 
thy  days  will  be   brief  and  full  of  trouble  ;  and  I 
doubt  not  thou  wilt  end  them  within  the  walls  of  a 
prison.     I  hope  better  things  of  thee.     If  thou  doest 
well,  it  will  afford  encouragement  to  assist  others ; 
but  if  thy  conduct  is  bad,  it  may  be  the  means  01 
prolonging  the  sufferings  of  many  others.     I  am  still 
thy  friend,  and  disposed  to  do  all  I  can  for  thee." 
In  her  answer,  she  says  :    "  Oh,  frail  woman  !     No 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  441 

steps  can  be  recalled.  It  is  all  in  the  future  to  make 
amends  for  the  past.  After  all  the  good  counsel 
some  receive,  they  return  to  habits  of  vice.  They 
repent  when  it  is  too  late.  How  true  it  is  that  virtue 
has  its  reward,  and  vice  its  punishment.  I  know 
that  the  way  of  transgressors  is  hard.  If  I  only  had 
a  few  years  of  my  life  to  live  over  again,  how  differ- 
ent would  I  live  !  For  the  many  blessings  Provi- 
dence has  bestowed  on  me,  may  I  be  grateful.  In 
all  my  troubles,  He  has  raised  me  up  a  friend.  I  be- 
lieve He  never  forsakes  me  ;  so  there  is  hope  for  me. 
Don't  be  discouraged  that  you  befriended  me ;  for, 
with  God's  blessing,  you  shall  have  no  reason  to  re 
pent  of  it." 

He  wrote  thus  to  her,  a  short  time  after  :  "I  very 
often  think  of  thee,  and  I  yet  hope  that  I  shall  one 
day  see  thee  a  happy  and  respectable  woman.  I 
have  lately  had  a  good  deal  of  conversation  with  the 
Governor  concerning  'my  friends,'  as  he  calls  those 
whom  he  has  pardoned  at  my  request.  I  did  not  tell 
him  thou  hadst  behaved  incorrectly.  I  hope  I  shall 
never  be  obliged  to  do  so.  I  have  had  pleasant  ac- 
counts concerning  thee  lately,  and  I  do  not  wish  to 
remember  that  thou  hast  ever  grieved  me.  As  I 
passed  down  the  river  yesterday,  from  Albany,  I  saw 
Bloomingdale  Asylum.  I  remembered  how  I  used 
to  walk  with  thee  about  the  grounds  ;  and  my  mind 

was  for  a  time  depressed  with  melancholv  reflections. 
19* 


442          LIFE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 

I  had  deeply  sympathized  in  thy  sufferings ;  and  I 
had  rarely,  if  ever,  experienced  greater  pleasure 
than  when  I  was  the  happy  messenger  of  thy  re- 
demption from  the  grievous  thraldom,  under  which 
thou  wert  suffering.  Thou  art  blessed  with  more 
than  common  good  sense,  and  thou  knowest  how  to 
make  thyself  agreeable.  I  earnestly  advise  thee  to 
guard  well  thy  thoughts.  Never  allow  thyself  to 
use  an  immodest  word,  or  to  be  guilty  of  an  unbe- 
coming action.  On  all  occasions,  show  thyself  wor- 
thy of  the  regard  of  those  who  feel  an  interest  in 
thy  welfare.  'There  is  joy  in  heaven  over  one  sin- 
ner that  repenteth,  more  than  over  ninety  and  nine 
just  persons  that  need  no  repentance.'  With  ardent 
solicitude  for  thy  welfare,  I  remain  thy  sincere 
friend." 

About  two  years  afterward,  Friend  Hopper  made 
the  following  record  in  his  Register:  "J.  P.  conti- 
nues to  conduct  very  satisfactorily.  She  makes  a 
very  respectable  appearance,  is  modest  and  discreet 
in  her  deportment,  and  industrious  in  her  habits.  As 
a  mark  of  gratitude  for  the  attentions,  which  at  dif- 
ferent times  I  have  extended  to  her,  she  has  sent  me 
a  pair  of  handsome  gloves,  and  a  bandana  handker- 
chief. Taking  into  consideration  all  the  circumstan- 
ces attending  this  case,  this  small  present  affords  me 
much  more  gratification  than  ten  times  the  value 
from  any  other  person."  Six  months  later,  he  made 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  443 

this  record :  "The  Friend,  with  whom  J.  P.  lives, 
called  upon  me  to  say  that  she  sent  a  world  of  love 
to  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  whose  kindness  she  holds  in 
grateful  remembrance."  The  same  Friend  afterward 
wrote,  "She  is  all  that  I  could  wish  her  to  be." 
.  Many  more  instances  might  be  quoted  ;  but  enough 
has  been  told  to  illustrate  his  patience  arid  forbear- 
ance, and  his  judicious  mode  of  dealing  with  such 
•  characters.  Dr.  Russ,  one  of  the  most  active  and 
benevolent  members  of  the  Prison  Association,  thinks 
it  is  a  fair  statement  to  say  that  at  least  three-fourths 
of  those  for  whom  he  interested  himself  eventually 
turned  out  well ;  though  in  several  cases,  it  was  af- 
ter a  few  backslidings.  The  fullness  of  his  sympa- 
thy was  probably  one  great  reason  why  he  obtained 
such  influence  over  them,  and  made  them  so  willing 
to  open  their  hearts  to  him.  He  naturally,  and  with- 
out effort,  put  his  soul  in  their  soul's  stead.  This 
rendered  it  easy  for  him  to  disregard  his  own  inter- 
ests, and  set  aside  his  own  opinions,  for  the  benefit  of 
others.  In  several  instances,  he  procured  another 
place  for  a  healthy,  good-looking  domestic,  with 
whose  services  he  was  well  satisfied,  merely  because 
some  poor  creature  applied  for  work,  who  was  too 
lame,  or  ill-favored,  to  obtain  employment  elsewhere. 
When  an  insane  girl,  from  Sing  Sing,  was  brought  to 
his  house  to  wait  for  an  opportunity  to  return  to  her 
parents  in  Canada,  he  sent  for  the  Catholic  Bishop  to 


444  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

cpme  and  minister  to  her  spiritual  wants,  because  he 
found  she  was  very  unhappy  without  religious  con- 
solation in  the  form  to  which  she  had  been  accus- 
tomed in  childhood. 

The  peculiar  adaptation  of  his  character  to  this 
mission  of  humanity  was  not  only  felt  by  his  fellow 
laborers  in  the  New- York  Association,  but  was  ac- 
knowledged wherever  he  was  known.  Dr.  Waltei 
Channing,  brother  of  the  late  Dr.  William  Ellery 
Channing  wrote  to  him  as  follows,  when  the  Boston 
Prison  Association  was  about  being  formed  ;  "  I  was 
rejoiced  to  learn  that  you  would  stay  to  help  ata  oui 
meetings  in  behalf  of  criminals.  The  demand  which 
this  class  of  brothers  has  upon  us  is  felt  by  every 
man,  who  examines  his  own  heart,  and  his  own  life. 
How  great  is  every  man's  need  of  the  kindness  and 
love  of  his  brethren  !  Here  is  the  deep-laid  cause  of 
sympathy.  Here  is  the  secret  spring  of  that  wide 
effort,  which  the  whole  world  is  now  making  for  the 
happiness  and  good  of  the  race.  I  thank  you  for 
what  you  have  done  in  this  noble  work.  I  had  heard 
with  the  sincerest  pleasure,  of  your  labors  for  the 
down  trodden  and  the  poor.  God  bless  you  for  these 
labors  of  love  !  Truly  shall  I  thank  you  for  the 
light  you  can  so  abundantly  give,  and  which  will 
make  the  path  of  duty  plain  before  me." 

Incessant  demands  were  made  upon  his  time  and 
attention.     A  great  many  people,   if  they  happened 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  445 

to  have  their  feelings  touched  by  some  scene  of  dis- 
tress, seemed  to  think  they  had  fulfilled  their  whole 
duty  by  sending  the  sufferer  to  Isaac  T.  Hopper. 
Few  can  imagine  what  an  arduous  task  it  is  to  be 
such  a  thorough  philanthropist  as  he  was.  Whoever 
wishes  for  a  crown  like  his,  must  earn  it  by  carrying 
the  martyr's  cross  through  life.  They  must  make 
up  their  minds  to  relinquish  their  whole  time  to  such 
pursuits  ;  they  must  be  prepared  to  encounter  envy 
and  dislike  ;  to  be  misrepresented  and  blamed,  where 
their  intentions  have  been  most  praiseworthy  ;  to  be 
often  disheartened  by  the  delinquences,  or  ingrati- 
tude, of  those  they  have  expended  their  time  and 
strength  to  serve  ;  above  all,  they  must  be  willing  to 
live  and  die  poor. 

Though  attention  to  prisoners  was  the  mission  to 
which  Friend  Hopper  peculiarly  devoted  the  last 
years  of  his  life,  his  sympathy  for  the  slaves  never 
abated.  And  though  his  own  early  efforts  had  been 
made  in  co-operation  with  the  gradual  Emancipation 
Society,  established  by  Franklin,  Rush,  and  others, 
he  rejoiced  in  the  bolder  movement,  known  as  mod- 
ern anti-slavery.  Of  course,  he  did  not  endorse  eve- 
rything that  was  said  and  done  by  all  sorts  of  tem- 
peraments engaged  in  that  cause,  or  in  any  other  cause. 
But  no  man  understood  better  than  he  did  the  fallacy 
of  the  argument  that  modern  abolitionists  had  put 
back  the  cause  of  emancipation  in  the  South.  He 


446  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

often  used  to  speak  of  the  spirit  manifested  toward 
William  Savery,  when  he  went  to  the  South  to 
preach,  as  early  as  1791.  Writing  from  Augusta, 
Georgia,  that  tender-hearted  minister  of  Christ  says  : 
"  They  can  scarcely  tolerate  us,  on  account  of  our 
abhorrence  of  slavery.  This  was  truly  a  trying  place 
to  lodge  in  another  night."  At  Savannah  the  landlord 
of  a  tavern  where  they  lodged,  ordered  a  cruel  flog- 
ging to  be  administered  to  one  of  his  slaves,  who  had 
fallen  asleep  through  weariness,  before  his  daily  task 
was  accomplished.  William  Savery  says  :  "When 
we  went  to  supper,  this  unfeeling  wretch  craved  a 
blessing ;  which  I  considered  equally  abhorrent  to  the 
Divine  Being,  as  his  curses."  In  the  morning,  when 
the  humane  preacher  heard  sounds  of  the  lash,  ac- 
companied by  piteous  cries  for  mercy,  he  had  the 
boldness  to  step  in  between  the  driver  and  the  slave ; 
and  he  stopped  any  further  infliction  of  punishment, 
for  that  time.  He  says:  "This  landlord  was  the 
most  abominably  wicked  man  that  I  ever  met  with  ; 
full  of  horrid  execrations,  and  threatenings  of  all 
Northern  people.  But  I  did  not  spare  him  ;  which 
occasioned  a  bystander  to  express,  with  an  oath,  that 
I  should  be  '  popped  over.'  We  left  them  distressed 
in  mind;  and  having  a  lonesome  wood  of  twelve 
miles  to  pass  through,  we  were  in  full  expectation  of 
their  waylaying,  or  coming  after  us,  to  put  their 
wicked  threats  in  execution.' 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  44T 

As  early  as  1806,  James  Lindley,  of  Pennsylvania, 
had  a  large  piece  of  iron  hurled  at  him,  as  he  was 
passing  through  the  streets,  at  Havre  de  Grace, 
Maryland.  Three  of  his  ribs  were  broken,  and 
several  teeth  knocked  out,  and  he  was  beaten  till  he 
was  supposed  to  be  dead.  All  this  was  done  merely 
because  they  mistook  him  for  Jacob  Lindley,  the 
Quaker  preacher,  who  was  well  known  as  a  friend  to 
fugitives  from  slavery. 

In  view  of  these,  and  other  similar  facts,  Friend 
Hopper  was  never  disposed  to  blame  abolitionists  for 
excitements  at  the  South,  as  many  of  the  Quakers 
were  inclined  to  do.  He  had  a  sincere  respect  for 
the  integrity  and  conscientious  boldness  of  William 
Lloyd  Garrison ;  as  all  have,  who  know  him  well 
enough  to  appreciate  his  character.  For  many 
years,  he  was  always  an  invited  and  welcome  guest 
on  the  occasion  of  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Anti- 
Slavery  Society  in  New-York.  Mr.  Garrison's  feel- 
ings toward  him  are  manifested  in  the  following 
answer  to  one  of  his  letters  :  "  As  there  is  no  one  in 
the  world  for  whom  I  entertain  more  veneration  and 
esteem  than  for  yourself,  and  as  there  is  no  place  in 
New- York,  that  is  so  much  like  home  to  me,  as  your 
own  hospitable  dwelling,  be  assured  it  will  give  me 
the  utmost  pleasure  to  accept  your  friendly  invita- 
tion to  remain  under  your  roof  during  the  approach- 


448  LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

ing  anniversary  week."  It  was  on  one  of  these 
occasions,  that  Garrison  addressed  to  him  the  fol- 
lowing sonnet : 

"  Thou  kind  and  venerable  friend  of  man, 

In  heart  and  spirit  young,  though  old  in  years  ! 

The  tyrant  trembles  when  thy  name  he  hears, 
And  the  slave  joys  thy  honest  face  to  scan. 
A  friend  more  true  and  brave,  since  time  began, 

Humanity  has  never  found :  her  fears 

By  thee  have  been  dispelled,  and  wiped  the  tears 
Adown  her  sorrow- stricken  cheeks  that  ran. 
If  like  Napoleon's  appears  thy  face, 

Thy  soul  to  his  bears  no  similitude. 
He  came  to  curse,  but  thou  to  bless  our  race. 

Thy  hands  are  pure  ;  in  blood  were  his  imbrued. 
His  memory  shall  be  covered  with  disgrace, 

But  thine  embalmed  among  the  truly  great  and  good." 

Until  the  last  few  years  of  his  life,  Friend  Hopper 
usually  walked  to  and  from  his  office  twice  a  day, 
making  about  five  miles  in  the  whole ;  to  which  he 
sometimes  added  a  walk  in  the  evening,  to  visit 
children  or  friends,  or  transact  some  necessary  busi- 
ness. When  the  weather  was  very  unpleasant,  he 
availed  himself  of  the  Harlem  cars.  Upon  one  of 
these  occasions,  it  chanced  that  the  long,  ponderous 
vehicle  was  nearly  empty.  They  had  not  proceeded 
far,  when  a  very  respectable-looking  young  woman 
beckoned  for  the  car  to  stop.  It  did  so  ;  but  when 
she  set  her  foot  on  the  step,  the  conductor,  some- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  449 

what  rudely  pushed  her  back ;  and  she  turned  away, 
evidently  much  mortified.  Friend  Hopper  started 
up  and  inquired,  "Why  didst  thou  push  that  woman 
away  ?" 

"  She's  colored,"  was  the  laconic  reply. 

"Art  thou  instructed  by  the  managers  of  the  rail- 
road to  proceed  in  this  manner  on  such  occasions  ? " 
inquired  Friend  Hopper. 

The  man  answered,  "Yes." 

"  Then  let  me  get  out,"  rejoined  the  genuine  re- 
publican. "It  disturbs  my  conscience  to  ride  in  a 
public  conveyance,  where  any  decently  behaved  per- 
son is  refused  admittance."  And  though  it  was 
raining  very  fast,  and  his  home  was  a  mile  off,  the 
old  veteran  of  seventy-five  years  marched  through 
mud  and  wet,  at  a  pace  somewhat  brisker  than  his 
usual  energetic  step ;  for  indignation  warmed  his 
honest  and  kindly  heart,  and  set  the  blood  in  motion. 
The  next  day,  he  called  at  the  rail-road  office,  and 
very  civilly  inquired  of  one  of  the  managers  whether 
conductors  were  instructed  to  exclude  passengers 
merely  on  account  of  complexion/ 

"Certainly  not,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "They 
have  discretionary  power  to  reject  any  person  who 
is  drunk,  or  offensively  unclean,  or  indecent,  or  quar- 
relsome." 

Friend  Hopper  then  related  how  a  young  woman 
of  modest  appearance,  ancf  respectable  dress,  was 


450  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

pushed  from  the  step,  though  the  car  was  nearly 
empty,  and  she  was  seeking  shelter  from  a  violent 
rain. 

"That  was  wrong,"  replied  the  manager.  "We 
have  no  reason  to  complain  of  colored  people  as  pas- 
sengers. They  obtrude  upon  no  one,  and  always 
have  sixpences  in  readiness  to  pay ;  whereas  fash- 
ionably dressed  white  people  frequently  offer  a  ten 
dollar  bill,  which  they  know  we  cannot  change,  and 
thus  cheat  us  out  of  our  rightful  dues.  Who  was 
the  conductor,  that  behaved  in  the  manner  you  have 
described  ?  We  will  turn  him  away,  if  he  does  n't 
know  better  how  to  use  the  discretionary  power  with 
which  he  is  entrusted." 

Friend  Hopper  replied,  "  I  had  rather  thou  wouldst 
not  turn  him  out  of  thy  employ,  unless  he  repeats 
the  offence,  after  being  properly  instructed.  I  have 
no  wish  to  injure  the  man.  He  has  become  infected 
with  the  unjust  prejudices  of  the  community  without 
duly  reflecting  upon  the  subject.  Friendly  conver- 
sation with  him  may  suggest  wiser  thoughts.  All  I 
ask  of  thee  is  to  instruct  him  that  the  rights  of  the 
meanest  citizen  are  to  be  respected.  I  thank  thee 
for  having  listened  to  my  complaint  in  such  a  candid 
and  courteous  manner." 

"And  I  thank  you  for  having  come  to  inform  us 
of  the  circumstance,"  replied  the  manager.  They 
parted  mutually  well  pleased  ;  and  a  few  days  after, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  451 

the  same  conductor  admitted  a  colored  woman  into 
the  cars  without  making  any  objection.  This  im- 
proved state  of  things  continued  several  weeks.  But 
the  old  tyrannical  system  was  restored,  owing  to 
counteracting  influence  from  some  unknown  quarter. 
I  often  met  colored  people  coming  from  the  country 
in  the  Harlem  cars  ;  but  I  never  afterward  knew  one 
to  enter  from  the  streets  of  the  city. 

Many  colored  people  die  every  year,  and  vast 
numbers  have  their  health  permanently  impaired,  on 
account  of  inclement  weather,  to  which  they  are  ex- 
posed by  exclusion  from  public  conveyances.  And 
this  merely  on  account  of  complexion  !  What  a  tor- 
nado of  popular  eloquence  would  come  from  our 
public  halls,  if  Austria  or  Russia  were  guilty  of  any 
despotism  half  as  mean  '„  Yet  the  great  heart  of  the 
people  is  moved  by  kind  and  sincere  feelings  in  its 
outbursts  against  foreign  tyranny.  But  in  addition 
to  this  honorable  sympathy  for  the  oppressed  in  other 
countries,  it  would  be  well  for  them  to  look  at  home, 
and  consider  whether  it  is  just  that  any  well-behaved 
people  should  be  excluded  from  the  common  privi- 
leges of  public  conveyances.  If  a  hundred  citizens 
in  New- York  would  act  as  Friend  Hopper  did,  the 
evil  would  soon  be  remedied.  It  is  the  almost  uni- 
versal failure  in  individual  duty,  which  so  accumu- 
lates errors  and  iniquities  in  society,  that  the  ultra- 
theories,  and  extra  efforts  of  reformers  become  abso- 


452  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

lutely  necessary  to  prevent  the  balance  of  things 
from  being  destroyed ;  as  thunder  and  lightning  are 
required  to  purify  a  polluted  atmosphere.  Godwin, 
in  some  of  his  writings,  asks,  "What  is  it  that  ena- 
bles a  thousand  errors  to  keep  their  station  in  the 
world  ?  It  is  cowardice.  It  is  because  the  majority 
of  men,  who  see  that  things  are  not  altogether  right, 
yet  see  in  so  frigid  a  way,  and  have  so  little  courage 
to  express  their  views.  If  every  man  to-day  would 
tell  all  the  truth  he  knows,  three  years  hence,  there 
would  scarcely  be  a  falsehood  of  any  magnitude 
remaining  in  the  civilized  world." 

In  the  summer  of  1844,  Friend  Hopper  met  with 
a  Methodist  preacher  from  Mississippi,  who  came 
with  his  family  to  New-York,  to  attend  a  General 
Conference.  Being  introduced  as  a  zealous  aboli- 
tionist, the  conversation  immediately  turned  upon 
slavery.  One  of  the  preacher's  daughters  said,  "  I 
could'nt  possibly  get  along  without  slaves,  Mr.  Hop- 
per. Why  I  never  dressed  or  undressed  myself,  till 
I  came  to  the  North.  I  wanted  very  much  to  bring 
a  slave  with  me." 

"  I  wish  thou  hadst,"  rejoined  Friend  Hopper. 

"And  what  would  you  have  done,  if  you  had  seen 
her  ?"  she  inquired. 

He  replied,  "I  would  have  told  her  that  she  was 
a  free  woman  while  she  remained  here  ;  but  if  she 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER  453 

went  back  to  the  South,  she  would  be  liable  to  be 
sold,  like  a  pig  or  a  sheep." 

They  laughed  at  this  frank  avowal,  and  when  he 
invited  them  to  come  to  his  house  with  their  father, 
to  take  tea,  they  gladly  accepted  the  invitation. 
Again  the  conversation  turned  toward  that  subject, 
which  is  never  forgotten  when  North  and  South 
meet.  In  answer  to  some  remark  from  Friend  Hop- 
per, the  preacher  said,  "Do  you  think  I  am  not  a 
Christian  ?" 

"I  certainly  do  not  regard  thee  as  one,"  he  replied. 

"  And  I  suppose  you  think  I  cannot  get  to  hea- 
ven ?"  rejoined  the  slaveholder. 

"I  will, not  say  that,"  replied  the  Friend.  "To 
thy  own  Master  thou  must  stand  or  fall.  But  slavery- 
is  a  great  abomination,  and  no  one  who  is  guilty  of 
it  can  be  a  Christian,  or  Christ-like.  I  would  not 
exclude  thee  from  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  but  if 
thou  dost  enter  there,  it  must  be  because  thou  art 
ignorant  of  the  fact  that  thou  art  living  in  sin." 

After  a  prolonged  conversation,  mostly  on  the 
same  topic,  the  guests  rose  to  depart.  The  Metho- 
dist said,  "Well,  Mr.  Hopper,  I  have  never  been 
treated  better  by  any  man,  than  I  have  been  by  you. 
I  should  be  very  glad  to  have  you  visit  us." 

"Ah  !  and  thou  wouldst  lynch  me  ;  or  at  least,  thy 
friends  would,"  he  replied,  smiling. 

"  Oh  no,  we  would  treat  you  very  well,"  rejoined 


454  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

the  Southerner.     "  But  how  would  you  talk  about 
slavery  if  you  were  there  ?" 

"Just  as  I  do  here,  to  be  sure,"  answered  the 
Quaker.  "  I  would  advise  the  slaves  to  be  honest, 
industrious,  and  obedient,  and  never  try  to  run  away 
from  a  good  master,  unless  they  were  pretty  sure  of 
escaping ;  because  if  they  were  caught,  they  would 
fare  worse  than  before.  But  if  they  had  a  safe  op- 
portunity, I  should  advise  them  to  be  off  as  soon  as 
possible."  In  a  more  serious  tone,  he  added,  "  And 
to  thee,  who  claimest  to  be  a  minister  of  Christ,  I 
would  say  that  thy  Master  requires  thee  to  give  de- 
liverance to  the  captive,  and  let  the  oppressed  go 
free.  My  friend,  hast  thou  a  conscience  vpid  of  of- 
fence ?  When  thou  liest  down  at  night,  is  thy  mind 
always  at  ease  on  this  subject  ?  After  pouring  out 
thy  soul  in  prayer  to  thy  Heavenly  Father,  dost  thou 
not  feel  the  outraged  sense  of  right,  like  a  perpetual 
motion,  restless  within  thy  breast  ?  Dost  thou  not 
hear  a  voice  telling  thee  it  is  wrong  to  hold  thy  fel- 
low men  in  slavery,  with  their  wives  and  their  little 
ones  ?" 

The  preacher  manifested  some  emotion  at  this  ear- 
nest appeal,  and  confessed  that  he  sometimes  had 
doubts  on  the  subject ;  though,  on  the  whole,  he  hadf 
concluded  that  it  was  right  to  hold  slaves.  One  of 
his  daughters,  who  was  a  widow,  seemed  to  be  more 
deeply  touched.  She  took  Friend  Hopper's  hand,  at 


*       LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  455 

parting,  and  said,  "I  am  thankful  for  the  privilege 
of  having  seen  you.  I  never  talked  with  an  aboli- 
tionist before.  You  have  convinced  me  that  slave- 
holding  is  sinful  in  the  sight  of  God.  My  husband 
left  me  several  slaves,  and  I  have  held  them  for  five 
years ;  but  when  I  return,  I  am  resolved  to  hold  a 
slave  no  longer." 

Friend  Hopper  cherished  some  hope  that  this 
preaching  and  praying  slaveholder  would  eventually 
manumit  his  bondmen  ;  but  I  had  listened  to  his 
conversation,  and  I  thought  otherwise.  His  con- 
science seemed  to  me  to  be  asleep  under  a  seven-fold 
shield  of  self-satisfied  piety ;  and  I  have  observed 
that  such  consciences  rarely  waken. 

At  the  time  of  the  Christiana  riots,  in  1851,  when 
the  slave-power  seemed  to  overshadow  everything, 
and  none  but  the  boldest  ventured  to  speak  against 
it,  Friend  Hopper  wrote  an  article  for  the  Tribune, 
and  signed  it  with  his  name,  in  which  he  maintained 
that  the  colored  people,  "who  defended  themselves 
and  their  firesides  against  the  lawless  assaults  of  an 
armed  party  of  negro-hunters  from  Maryland,"  ought 
not  to  be  regarded  as  traitors  or'murderers  "by  men 
who  set  a  just  value  on  liberty,  and  who  had  no  con- 
scientious scruples  with  regard  to  war." 

The  first  runaway,  who  was  endangered  by  the 
passage  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  m  1850,  happen- 
ed to  be  placed  under  his  protection.  A  very  good- 


456  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

looking  colored  man,  who  escaped  from  bondage,  re- 
sided some  years  in  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  and 
acquired  several  thousand  dollars  by  hair-dressing. 
He  went  to  New- York  to  be  married,  and  it  chanced 
that  his  master  arrived  in  Worcester  in  search  of 
him,  the  very  day  that  he  started  for  that  city. 
Some  person  friendly  to  the  colored  man  sent  infor- 
mation to  New- York  by  telegraph ;  but  the  gentle- 
man to  whom  it  was  addressed  was  out  of  the  city. 
One  of  the  operators  at  the  telegraph  office  said, 
"Isaac  T.  Hopper  ought  to  know  of  this  message ;" 
and  he  carried  it  himself.  Friend  Hopper  was  then 
eighty  years  old,  but  he  sprang  out  of  bed  at  mid- 
night, and  went  off  writh  all  speed  to  hunt  up  the  fu- 
gitive. He  found  him,  warned  him  of  his  danger, 
and  offered  to  secrete  him.  The  colored  man  hesi- 
tated. He  feared  it  might  be  a  trick  to  decoy  him 
into  his  master's  power.  But  the  young  wife  gazed 
very  earnestly  at  Friend  Hopper,  and  said,  "I  would 
trust  the  countenance  of  that  Quaker  gentleman 
anywhere.  Let  us  go  with  him."  They  spent  the 
remainder  of  the  night  at  his  house,  and  after  being 
concealed  elsewhere  for  a  few  days,  they  wrent  to 
Canada.  This  slave  was  the  son  of  his  master,  who 
estimated  his  market-value  at  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred dollars.  Six  months  imprisonment,  and  a  fine 
of  one  thousand  dollars  was  the  legal  penalty  for 
aiding  him.  But  Friend  Hopper  always  said,  "  I 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  457 

have  never  sought  to  make  any  slave  discontented 
with  his  situation,  because  I  do  not  consider  it  either 
wise  or  kind  to  do  so ;  but  so  long  as  my  life  is 
spared,  I  will  always  assist  any  one,  who  is  trying  to 
escape  from  slavery,  be  the  laws  what  they  may." 

A  black  man,  who  had  fled  from  bondage,  married 
a  mulatto  woman  in  Philadelphia,  and  became  the 
father  of  six  children.  He  owned  a  small  house  in 
the  neighborhood  of  that  city,  and  had  lived  there 
comfortably  several  years,  when  that  abominable  law 
was  passed,  by  which  the  Northern  States  rendered 
their  free  soil  a  great  hunting-ground  for  the  rich 
and  powerful  to  run  down  the  poor  and  weak.  In 
rushed  the  slaveholders  from  all  quarters,  to  seize 
their  helpless  prey  !  At  dead  of  night,  the  black 
man,  sleeping  quietly  in  the  humble  home  he  had 
earned  by  unremitting  industry,  was  roused  up  to  re- 
ceive information  that  his  master  was  in  pursuit  of 
him.  His  eldest  daughter  was  out  at  service  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  there  was  no  time  to  give  her  no- 
tice. They  hastily  packed  such  articles  as  they 
could  take,  caught  the  little  ones  from  their  beds, 
and  escaped  before  the  morning  dawned.  A  gentle- 
man, who  saw  them  next  day  on  board  a  steamboat, 
bserved  their  uneasiness,  and  suspected  they  were 
"fugitives  from  injustice."  When  he  remarked  this 
to  a  companion,  he  replied,  "  They  have  too  much 

luggage  to  be  slaves."     Nevertheless,  he  thought  it 
20 


458  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

could  do  no  harm  to  inform  them  that  Isaac  T.  Hop- 
per of  New-York  was  the  best  adviser  of  fugitives 
Accordingly,  a  few  hours  afterward,  the  whole  co 
lored  colony  was  established  in  his  house  ;  where  the 
genteel-looking  mother,  and  her  bright,  pretty  little 
children  excited  a  very  lively  interest  in  all  hearts 
They  made  their  way  to  Canada  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  the  daughter  who  was  left  in  Philadelphia,  was 
soon  after  sent  to  them. 

Friend  Hopper's  resolute  resistance  to  oppression, 
in  every  form,  never  produced  any  harshness  in  his 
manners,  or  diminished  his  love  of  quiet  domestic 
life.  He  habitually  surrendered  himself  to  pleasant 
influences,  even  from  events  that  troubled  him  at  the 
time,  he  generally  extracted  some  agreeable  incident 
and  soon  forgot  those  of  opposite  character.  It  was 
quite  observable  how  little  he  thought  of  the  instan- 
ces of  ingratitude  he  had  met  with.  He  seldom,  if 
ever,  alluded  to  them,  unless  reminded  by  some  di- 
rect question ;  but  the  unfortunate  beings  who  had 
persevered  in  reformation,  and  manifested  gratitude, 
were  always  uppermost  in  his  thoughts. 

Though  always  pleased  to  hear  that  his  children 
were  free  from  pecuniary  anxiety,  he  never  desired 
wealth  for  them.  The  idea  of  money  never  seemed 
to  occur  to  him  in  connection  with  their  marriages. 
It  was  a  cherished  wish  of  his  heart  to  have  them 
united  to  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends  ;  yet  he 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  459 

easily  yielded,  even  on  that  point,  as  soon  as  he  saw 
their  happiness  was  at  stake.  When  one  of  his  sons 
married  into  a  family  educated  under  influences  to- 
tally foreign  to  Quaker  principles,  he  was  somewhat 
disturbed.  But  he  at  once  adopted  the  bride  as  a 
beloveft  daughter  of  his  heart ;  and  she  ever  after 
proved  a  lovely  and  thornless  Rose  in  the  pathway 
of  his  life.  Great  was  his  satisfaction  when  he  dis- 
covered that  she  was  grandchild  of  Dr.  William 
Rogers,  Professor  of  English  and  Oratory  in  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  who,  sixty  years  before, 
had  preached  the  first  sermon  to  inmates  of  the  State 
Prison,  in  Philadelphia.  That  good  and  gifted  cler- 
gyman was  associated  with  his  earliest  recollections  ; 
for  when  he  was  on  one  of  his  pleasant  visits  to  his 
uncle  Tatem,  at  six  years  old,  he  went  to  meeting 
with  him  for  the  first  time,  and  was  seated  on  a  stool 
between  his  knees.  The  proceedings  were  a  great 
novelty  to  him ;  for  Dr.  Rogers  was  the  first  minis- 
ter he  ever  saw  in  a  pulpit.  He  never  forgot  the 
text  of  that  sermon.  I  often  heard  him  repeat  it, 
during  the  last  years  of  his  life.  The  remembrance 
of  these  incidents,  and  the  great  respect  he  had  for 
the  character  of  the  prison  missionary,  at  once  es- 
tablished in  his  mind  a  claim  of  old  relationship  be- 
tween him  and  the  new  inmate  of  his  household. 

He  had  the  custom  of  sitting  with  his  wife  on  the 
front-door-step  during  the  summer  twilight,  to  catch 


460  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

the  breeze,  that  always  refreshes  the  city  of  New- 
York,  after  a  sultry  day.  On  such  occasions,  the 
children  of  the  neighborhood  soon  began  to  gather 
round  him.  One  of  the  most  intelligent  and  inter- 
esting pupils  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Institution  had 
married  Mr.  Gallaudet,  Professor  in  that  Institution, 
and  resided  in  the  next  house.  She  had  a  bright 
lively  little  daughter,  who  very  early  learned  to  imi- 
tate her  rapid  and  graceful  way  of  conversing  by 
signs.  This  child  was  greatly  attracted  toward 
Friend  Hopper.  The  moment  she  saw  him,  she 
would  clap  her  tiny  hands  with  delight,  and  toddle 
toward  him,  exclaiming,  "  Opper  !  Opper  !"  When 
he  talked  to  her,  she  would  make  her  little  fingers 
fly,  in  the  prettiest  fashion,  interpreting  by  signs  to 
her  mute  mother  all  that  "Opper"  had  been  saying. 
Her  quick  intelligence  and  animated  gestures  were  a 
perpetual  source  of  amusement  to  him.  When  he 
went  down  to  his  office  in  the  morning,  all  the  nurses 
in  the  neighborhood  were  accustomed  to  stop  in  his 
path,  that  he  might  have  some  playful  conversation 
with  the  little  ones  in  their  charge.  He  had  a  plea- 
sant nick-name  for  them  all ;  such  as  "  Blue-bird," 
or  "Yellow-bird,"  according  to  their  dress.  They 
would  run  up  to  him  as  he  approached  home,  calling 
out,  "Here's  your  little  Blue-bird  !" 

His  garden  was  another  source  of  great  satisfac- 
tion to  him.     It  was  not  bigger  than  a  very  small 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  461 

bed-room,  and  only  half  of  it  received  the  sunshine. 
But  he  called  the  minnikin  grass-plot  his  meadow, 
and  talked  very  largely  about  mowing  his  hay.  He 
covered  the  walls  and  fences  with  flowering  vines, 
and  suspended  them  between  the  pillars  of  his  little 
piazza.  Even  in  this  employment  he  revealed  the 
tendencies  of  his  character.  One  day,  when  I  was 
helping  him  train  a  woodbine,  he  said,  "Fasten  it  in 
that  direction,  Maria ;  for  I  want  it  to  go  over  into 
our  neighbor's  yard,  that  it  may  make  their  wall 
look  pleasant." 

In  the  summer  of  1848,  when  I  was  staying  in  the 
country,  not  far  from  New- York,  I  received  the  fol- 
lowing letter  from  him:  "Dear  Friend,  the  days 
have  not  yet  come,  in  which  I  can  say  I  have  no 
pleasure  in  them.  Notwithstanding  the  stubs  against 
which  I  hit  my  toes,  the  briars  and  thorns  that  some- 
times annoy  me,  and  the  muddy  sloughs  I  am  some- 
times obliged  to  wade  through,  yet,  after  all,  the 
days  have  not  come  in  which  I  have  no  enjoyment. 
In  the  course  of  my  journey,  I  find  here  and  there  a 
green  spot,  by  which  I  can  sit  down  and  rest,  and 
pleasant  streams,  where  I  sometimes  drink,  mostly 
in  secret,  and  am  refreshed.  I  often  remember  the 
saying  of  a  beloved  friend,  long  since  translated  from 
this  scene  of  mutation  to  a  state  of  eternal  beati- 
tude :  '  I  wear  my  sackcloth  on  my  loins ;  I  don't 
wish  to  afflict  others  by  carrying  a  sorrowful  coun- 


LIFE    OP    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 


tenance.'  A  wise  conclusion.  I  love  to  diffuse  hap- 
piness over  all  with  whom  I  come  in  contact.  But 
all  this  is  a  kind  of  accident.  I  took  up  my  pen  to 
tell  thee  about  our  garden.  I  never  saw  it  half  so 
handsome  as  it  is  now.  Morning  Glories  are  on 
both  sides  of  the  yard,  extending  nearly  to  the 
second  story  windows  ;  and  they  exhibit  their  glories 
every  morning,  in  beautiful  style.  There  are  Cy- 
press vines,  twelve  feet  high,  running  up  on  the  pil- 
lar before  the  kitchen  window,  and  spreading  out 
each  way.  They  blossom  most  profusely.  The 
wooden  wall  is  entirely  covered  with  Madeira  vines, 
and  the  stone  wall  with  Woodbine.  The  grass-plot 
is  very  thrifty,  and  our  borders  are  beautified  with  a 
variety  of  flowers.  How  thou  wouldst  like  to  look 
at  them !" 

I  replied  as  follows:  "My  dear  and  honored 
friend :  Your  kind,  cheerful  epistle  came  into  my 
room  as  pleasantly  as  would  the  vines  and  flowers 
you  describe.  I  am  very  glad  the  spirit  moved  you 
to  write;  for,  to  use  the  words  of  the  apostle,  'I 
thank  my  God  for  every  remembrance  of  you.'  I  do 
not  make  many  professions  of  friendship,  because 
neither  you  nor  I  are  much  given  to  professions  ;  but 
there  is  no  one  in  the  world  for  whom  I  have  a  higher 
respect  than  yourself,  and  very  few  for  whom  I  che- 
rish a  more  cordial  affection.  You  say  the  time  has 
not  yet  come  when  you  have  no  pleasure.  I  think, 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  463 

my  friend,  that  it  will  never  come.  To  an  ever- 
green heart,  like  yours,  so  full  of  kindly  sympathies, 
the  little  children  will  always  prattle,  the  birds  will 
always  sing,  'and  the  flowers  will  always  offer  in- 
cense. This  reward  of  the  honest  and  kindly  heart 
is  one  of  those,  which  'the  world  can  neither  give 
nor  take  away.' 

"I  should  love  to  see  your  garden  now.  There  is 
a  peculiar  satisfaction  in  having  a  very  little  patch 
all  blooming  into  beauty.  I  had  such  an  one  in  my 
humble  home  in  Boston,  some  years  ago.  It  used  to 
make  me  think  of  Mary  Howitt's  very  pleasant  poe- 
try: 

"  Yes,  in  the  poor  man's  garden  grow 

Far  more  than  herbs  and  flowers  ; 
Kind  thoughts,  contentment,  peace  of  mind, 

And  joy  for  weary  hours." 

I  have  one  enjoyment  this  summer,  which  you  can- 
not have  in  your  city  premises.  The  birds  !  not  only 
their  sweet  songs,  but  all  their  little  cunning  manoeu- 
vres in  courting,  building  their  nests,  and  rearing 
their  young.  I  watched  for  hours  a  little  Phoebe- 
bird,  who  brought  out  her  brood  to  teach  them  to 
fly.  They  used  to  stop  to  jest  themselves  on  the 
naked  branch  of  a  dead  pear-tree.  There  they  sat 
so  quietly,  all  in  a  row,  in  their  sober  russet  suit  of 
feathers,  just  as  if  they  were  Quakers  at  meeting. 
The  birds  are  very  tame  here  ;  thanks  to  Friend  Jo- 
seph's tender  heart.  The  Bob-o-links  pick  seed  from 


464  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

the  dandelions,  at  my  very  feet.  May  you  sleep 
like  a  child  when  his  friends  are  with  him,  as  the 
Orientals  say.  And  so  farewell." 

Interesting  strangers  occasionally  called  to  see 
Friend  Hopper,  attracted  by  his  reputation.  Frederi- 
ka  Bremer  was  peculiarly  delighted  by  her  inter- 
views with  him,  and  made  a  fine  sketch  of  him  in 
her  collection  of  American  likenesses.  William 
Page,  the  well-known  artist,  made  for  me  an  admi- 
rable drawing  of  him,  when  he  was  a  little  past  sev- 
enty years  old.  Eight  years  after,  Salathiel  Ellis, 
of  New- York,  at  the  suggestion  of  some  friends, 
executed  an  uncommonly  fine  medallion  likeness. 
A  reduced  copy  of  this  was  made  in  bronze  at 
the  request  of  some  members  of  the  Prison  Asso- 
ciation. The  reverse  side  represents  him  raising  a 
prisoner  from  the  ground,  and  bears  the  appropriate 
inscription,  "  To  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was 
lost." 

'Young  people  often  sent  him  pretty  little  testimo- 
nials of  the  interest  he  had  excited  in  their  minds. 
Intelligent  Irish  girls,  with  whom  he  had  formed  ac- 
quaintance in  their  native  land,  never  during  his  life 
ceased  to  write  to  him,  and  occasionally  sent  some 
tasteful  souvenir  of  their  friendship.  The  fashiona 
ble  custom  of  New- Year's  and  Christmas  offerings 
was  not  in  his  line.  But  though  he  always  dined  on 
humble  fare  at  Christmas,  as  a  testimony  against  the 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  465 

observance  of  holy  days,  he  secretly  sent  turkeys  to 
poor  families,  who  viewed  the  subject  in  a  different 
light ;  and  it  was  only  by  accidental  circumstances 
that  they  at  last  discovered  to  whom  they  owed  the 
annual  gift. 

Members  of  the  Society  of  Friends  often  came  to 
see  him ;  and  for  many  of  them  he  cherished  high 
respect,  and  a  very  warm  friendship.  But  his  cha- 
racter grew  larger,  and  his  views  more  liberal,  after 
the  bonds  which  bound  him  to  a  sect  were  cut  asun- 
der. Friends  occasionally  said  to  him,  "We  miss 
thy  services  in  the  Society,  Isaac.  Hadst  thou  not 
better  ask  to  be  re-admitted  ?  The  way  is  open  for 
thee,  whenever  thou  hast  an  inclination  to  return." 
He  replied,  "  I  thank  thee.  But  in  the  present  state 
of  the  Society,  I  don't  think  I  could  be  of  any  ser- 
vice to  them,  or  they  to  me."  But  he  could  never 
relinquish  the  hope  that  the  primitive  character  of 
Quakerism  would  be  restored,  and  that  the  Society 
would  again  hold  up  the  standard  of  righteousness 
to  the  nations,  as  it  had  in  days  gone  by.  Nearly 
every  man,  who  forms  strong  religious  attachments 
in  early  life,  cherishes  similar  anticipations  for  his 
sect,  whose  glory  declines,  in  the  natural  order  of 
things.  But  such  hopes  are  never  realized.  The 
spirit  has  a  resurrection,  but  not  the  form.  "  Soul 
never  dies.  Matter  dies  off  it,  and  it  lives  else- 
where." Thus  it  is  with  truth.  The  noble  princi- 
20* 


466          LIFE  OF  ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 

pies  maintained  by  Quakers,  through  suffering  and 
peril,  have  taken  root  in  other  sects,  and  heen  an  in- 
calculable help  to  individual  seekers  after  light, 
throughout  the  Christian  world.  Like  winged  seed 
scattered  in  far-off  soils,  they  will  produce  a  forest- 
growth  in  the  future,  long  after  the  original  stock  is 
dead,  and  its  dust  dispersed  to  the  winds. 

In  Friend  Hopper's  last  years,  memory,  as  usual 
with  the  old,  was  busily  employed  in  reproducing  the 
the  past ;  and  in  his  mind  the  pictures  she  presented 
were  uncommonly  vivid.  In  a  letter  to  his  daughter, 
Sarah  Palmer,  he  writes  :  "I  was  deeply  affected  on 
being  informed  of  the  death  of  Joseph  Whitall.  We 
loved  one  another  when  we  were  children ;  and  I 
never  lost  my  love  for  him.  I  think  it  will  not  be 
extravagant  if  I  say  that  my  soul  was  knit  with  his 
soul,  as  Jonathan's  was  to  David's.  I  have  a  letter, 
which  I  received  from  him  in  1795.  I  have  not 
language  to  express  my  feelings.  Oh,  that  separa- 
tion !  that  cruel  separation !  How  it  divided  very 
friends!" 

In  a  letter  to  his  daughter  Susan,  we  again  find 
him  looking  fondly  backward.  He  says  :  "I  often, 
very  often  remember  the  example  of  thy  dear  mother, 
with  feelings  that  no  language  can  portray.  She 
was  neat  and  tasteful  in  her  appearance.  Her  dress 
was  elegant,  but  plain,  as  became  her  Christian  pro- 
fession. She  loved  sincere  Friends,  faithfully  main- 


LIFE    OF  ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  467 

tained  all  their  testimonies,  and  was  a  diligent  at- 
tender  of  meetings.  She  was  kind  and  affectionate 
to  all.  In  short,  she  was  a  bright  example  in  her 
family,  and  to  all  about  her,  and  finally  laid  down 
her  head  in  peace.  May  her  children  imitate  her 
virtues." 

Writing  to  his  daughter  Sarah  in  1845,  he  thus 
returns  to  the  same  beloved  theme:  "I  lately  hap- 
pened to  open  the  Memoirs  of  Sarah  Harrison.  It 
seemed  to  place  me  among  my  old  friends,  with 
whom  I  walked  in  sweet  unity  and  Christian  fellow- 
ship, in  days  that  are  gone  forever.  I  there  saw  the 
names,  and  read  the  letters,  of  William  Savery, 
Thomas  Scattergood,  and  a  host  of  others,  who  have 
long  since  gone  to  their  everlasting  rest.  I  hope, 
however  unworthy,  to  join  them  at  some  day,  not 
very  distant." 

"Next  day  after  to-morrow,  it  will  be  fifty  years 
since  I  was  married  to  thy  dear  mother.  How  fresh 
many  of  the  scenes  of  that  day  are  brought  before 
me  !  It  almost  seems  as  if  they  transpired  yester- 
day. These  reminiscences  afford  me  a  melanch'oly 
pleasure,  and  I  love  to  indulge  in  them.  No  man 
has  experienced  more  exquisite  pleasure,  or  deeper 
sorrows  than  I  have." 

Perhaps  the  reader  will  say  that  I  have  spoken 
little  of  his  sorrows  ;  and  it  is  true.  But  who  does 
not  know  that  all  the  sternest  conflicts  of  life  can 


468  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

"       J 

never  be  recorded  !  Every  human  soul  must  walk 
alone  through  the  darkest  and  most  dangerous  paths 
of  its  spiritual  pilgrimage ;  absolutely  alone  with 
God  !  Much,  from  which  we  suffer  most  acutely, 
could  never  be  revealed  to  others ;  still  more  could 
never  be  understood,  if  it  were  revealed ;  and  still 
more  ought  never  to  be  repeated,  if  it  could  be  un- 
derstood. Therefore,  the  frankest  and  fullest  bio- 
graphy must  necessarily  be  superficial. 

The  old  gentleman  was  not  prone  to  talk  of  his 
troubles.  They  never  made  him  irritable,  but  rather 
increased  his  tenderness  and  thoughtfulness  toward 
others.  His  naturally  violent  temper  was  brought 
under  almost  complete  subjection.  During  the  nine 
years  that  I  lived  with  him,  I  never  saw  him  lose  his 
balance  but  twice ;  and  then  it  was  only  for  a 
moment,  and  under  very  provoking  circumstances. 

The  much-quoted  line,  "  None  knew  him  but  to 
love  him,  none  named  him  but  to  praise,"  was  proba- 
bly never  true  of  any  man  ;  certainly  not  of  any  one 
with  a  strong  character.  Many  were  hostile  to 
Friend  Hopper,  and  some  were  bitter  in  their  enmity. 
Of  course,  it  could  not  be  otherwise  with  a  man  who 
battled  with  oppression,  selfishness,  and  bigotry, 
wherever  he  encountered  them,  and  whose  rebukes 
were  too  direct  and  explicit  to  be  evaded.  More- 
over, no  person  in  this  world  is  allowed  to  be  pecu- 
liar and  independent  with  impunity.  There  are 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  469 

always  men  who  wish  to  compel  such  characters 
to  submit,  by  the  pressure  of  circumstances.  This 
kind  of  spiritual  thumb-screw  was  often,  and  in  va- 
rious ways,  tried  upon  Friend  Hopper ;  but  though 
it  sometimes  occasioned  temporary  inconvenience, 
it  never  induced  him  to  change  his  course. 

Though  few  old  men  enjoyed  life  so  much  as  he 
did,  he  always  thought  and  spoke  of  death  with 
cheerful  serenity.  On  the  third  of  December,  1851, 
he  wrote  thus  to  his  youngest  daughter,  Mary : 
"This  day  completes  my  eightieth  year.  'My  eye 
is  not  dim,  nor  my  natural  force  abated.'  My  head 
is  well  covered  with  hair,  which  still  retains  its  usual 
glossy  dark  color,  with  but  few  gray  hairs  sprinkled 
about,  hardly  noticed  by  a  casual  observer.  My  life 
has  been  prolonged  beyond  most,  and  has  been  truly 
'a  chequered  scene.'  I  often  take  a  retrospect  of  it, 
and  it  fills  me  with  awe.  It  is  marvellous  how  many 
dangers  and  hair-breadth  escapes  I  have  experienced. 
If  I  may  say  it  without  presumption,  I  desire  not  to 
live  until  I  am  unable  to  take  care  of  myself,  and 
become  a  burden  to  those  about  me.  If  I  had  my 
life  to  live  over  again,  the  experience  I  have  had 
might  caution  me  to  avoid  many  mistakes,  and  per- 
haps I  might  make  a  more  useful  citizen ;  but  I 
don't  know  that  I  should  greatly  improve  it.  Mercy 
and  kindness  have  followed  me  thus  far,  and  I  have 
faith  that  they  will  continue  with  me  to  the  end." 


470  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

But  the  bravest  and  strongest  pilgrim,  when  he  is 
travelling  toward  the  sunset,  cannot  but  perceive 
that  the  shadows  are  lengthening  around  him.  He 
did  not;  like  most  old  people,  watch  the  gathering 
gloom ;  but  during  the  last  two  or  three  years 
of  his  life,  he  seemed  to  have  an  increasing  feeling 
of  spiritual  loneliness.  He  had  survived  all  his  co- 
temporaries  ;  he  had  outlived  the  Society  of  Friends, 
as  it  was  when  it  took  possession  of  his  youthful 
soul ;  and  though  he  sympathized  with  the  present 
generation  remarkably  for  so  old  a  man,  still  he  was 
among  them,  and  not  of  them.  He  quieted  this 
feeling  by  the  best  of  all  methods.  He  worked 
continually,  and  he  worked  for  others.  In  this  way, 
he  brought  upon  himself  his  last  illness.  A  shop 
had  been  built  very  far  up  in  the  city,  for  a  dis- 
charged convict,  and  the  Association  had  incurred 
considerable  expense  on  his  account.  He  was  re- 
markably skilful  at  his  trade,  but  after  awhile  he 
manifested  slight  symptoms  of  derangement.  Friend 
Hopper  became  extremely  anxious  about  him,  and 
frequently  travelled  back  and  forth  to  examine  into 
the  state  of  his  affairs.  This  was  in  the  severe 
winter  of  1852,  and  he  was  past  eighty  years  old. 
He  took  heavy  colds,  which  produced  inflammation 
of  the  lungs,  and  the  inflammation  subsequently 
extended  to  his  stomach.  In  February  o.f  that  year, 
declining  health  made  it  necessary  to  resign  his 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  471 

office  in  the  Prison  Association.  His  letter  to  that 
effect  was  answered  by  the  following  Resolutions, 
unanimously  passed  at  a  meeting  of  the  Executive 
Committee  : 

"This  Association  has  received,  with  undissembled 
sorrow,  the  resignation  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  as  their 
agent  for  the  relief  of  discharged  convicts. 

"He  was  actively  engaged  in  the  organization  of  the 
Society,  and  has  ever  since  been  its  most  active  mem- 
ber. 

"His  kindness  of  heart,  and  his  active  zeal  in  behalf 
of  the  fallen  and  erring,  whom  he  has  so  often  befriended, 
have  given  to  this  Society  a  lofty  character  for  goodness, 
which,  being  a  reflection  of  his  own,  will  endure  with  the 
remembrance  of  him. 

"  His  forbearance  and  patience,  combined  with  his 
great  energy  of  mind,  have  given  to  its  action  an  impetus 
and  a  direction,  which,  it  is  to  be  earnestly  hoped,  will 
continue  long  after  it  shall  have  ceased  to  enjoy  his  par- 
ticipation in  its  active  business. 

"His  gentleness  and  propriety  of  deportment  toward 
us,  his  associates,  have  given  him  a  hold  upon  our  af- 
fections, which  adds  poignancy  to  our  grief  at  parting 
with  him. 

"And  while  we  mourn  his  loss  to  us,  our  recollection 
of  the  cause  of  it  awakens  within  us  the  belief  that  the 
good  he  has  done  will  smooth  his  departure  from  among 
us,  and  gives  strength  to  the  cheering  hope  that  the  recol- 


472  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

lection  of  a  life  well  spent  may  add  even  to  the  happiness 
that  is  in  store  for  him  hereafter." 

He  sent  the  following  reply,  which  I  believe  was 
the  last  letter  he  ever  wrote  : 

"  Dear  Friends  : — I  received  through  your  committee, 
accompanied  by  Dr.  Russ,  your  resolutions  of  the  13th  of 
February,  1852,  commendatory  of  my  course  while  agent 
for  Discharged  Convicts.  My  bodily  indisposition  has 
prevented  an  earlier  acknowledgment. 

The  kind,  friendly,  and  affectionate  manner  in  which 
you  have  been  pleased  to  express  yourselves  on  this  occa- 
sion, excited  emotions  which  I  found  it  difficult  to  repress. 
The  approbation  of  those  with  whom  I  have  long  labored 
in  a  deeply  interesting  and  arduous  concern,  I  value  next 
to  the  testimony  of  a  good  conscience.  Multiplied  years 
and  debility  of  body  admonish  me  to  retire  from  active 
life  as  much  as  may  be,  but  my  interest  in  the  work  has 
not  abated.  Much  has  been  done,  and  much  remains  to 
be  done. 

In  taking  a  retrospect  of  my  intercourse  with  you,  I  am 
rejoiced  to  see  that  the  great  principles  of  humanity  and 
Christian  benevolence  have  risen  above  and  overspread 
sectarian  prejudice,  that  bane  of  Christianity,  and  while 
each  has  been  allowed  to  enjoy  his  own  religious  opinions 
without  interference  from  his  fellows,  we  have  labored 
harmoniously  together  for  the  promotion  of  the  great 
object  of  our  Association. 

May  He  who  clothes  the  lilies,  feeds  the  ravens,  and 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  473 

provides  for  the  sparrows,  and  without  whose  Providen- 
tial regard,  all  our  endeavors  must  be  vain,  bless  your 
labors,  and  stimulate  and  encourage  you  to  persevere,  so 
that  having,  through  His  aid,  fulfilled  all  your  relative  and 
social  duties,  you  may  in  the  end  receive  the  welcome, 
','Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom 
prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world :  for  I 
was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  meat ;  I  was  thirsty, 
and  ye  gave  me  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me 
in ;  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me  ;  I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited 
me  ;  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  me." 

That  this  may  be  our  happy  experience,  is  the  fervent 
desire  of  your  sincere  and  affectionate  friend, 

ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 

NEW-YORK,  4th  mo.  15,  1852." 

Early  in  the  Spring,  he  was  conveyed  to  the 
house  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Gibbons,  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  city  ;  it  being  supposed  that  change  of 
air  and  scene  might  prove  beneficial.  It  was  after- 
ward deemed  imprudent  to  remove  him.  His  illness 
was  attended  with  a  good  deal  of  physical  suffering ; 
but  he  was  uniformly  patient  and  cheerful.  He 
often  observed,  "There  is  no  cloud.  There  is 
nothing  in  my  way.  Nothing  troubles  me."  His 
daughters  left  all  other  duties,  and  devoted  them- 
selves exclusively  to  him.  Never  were  the  declining 
hours  of  an  old  man  watched  over  with  more  devot- 
ed affection.  Writing  to  his  daughter  Mary,  he 


474  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

says:  "I  have  the  best  nurses  in  New- York ,  thy 
mother  and  sisters.  I  have  every  comfort  that  in- 
dustry and  ingenuity  can  supply." 

Among  the  Quakers  who  manifested  kindness  and 
sympathy,  several  belonged  to  the  branch  called 
Orthodox ;  for  a  sincere  respect  and  friendship  had 
grown  up  between  him  and  individuals  of  that 
Society,  in  New- York,  after  the  dust  of  controversy 
had  subsided.  He  was  always  glad  to  see  them ; 
for  his  heart  warmed  toward  the  plain  dress  and  the 
plain  language.  But  I  think  nothing  during  his 
illness  gave  him  more  unalloyed  satisfaction  than  a 
visit  from  William  and  Deborah  Wharton,  Friends 
from  Philadelphia.  He  loved  this  worthy  couple 
for  their  truly  Christian  character ;  and  they  were, 
moreover,  endeared  to  him  by  many  tender  and 
pleasant  associations.  They  stood  by  him  gene- 
rously during  his  severe  pecuniary  struggles ;  they 
had  been  devoted  to  his  beloved  Sarah,  whose  long 
illness  was  cheered  by  their  unremitting  attentions  , 
and  she,  for  many  years,  had  received  from  Hannah 
Fisher,  Deborah's  mother,  the  most  uniform  kind- 
ness. William's  father,  a  wealthy  merchant,  had 
been  to  him  an  early  and  constant  friend ;  and  his 
uncle,  the  excellent  mayor  of  Philadelphia,  had  sus- 
tained him  by  his  influence  and  hearty  co-operation, 
in  many  a  fugitive  slave  case,  that  occurred  in  years 
]ong  past.  It  was,  therefore,  altogether  pleasant  to 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPEU.  475 

clasp  hands  with  these  tried  and  trusty  friends, 
before  life  and  all  its  reminiscences  faded  away, 

His  physician,  Dr.  John  C.  Beales,  was  very  as- 
siduous in  his  attentions,  and  his  visits  were  always 
interesting  to  the  invalid,  wrho  generally  made  them 
an  occasion  for  pleasant  and  animated  conversation ; 
often  leading  the  doctor  off  the  professional  track, 
by  some  playful  account  of  his  symptoms,  however 
painful  they  might  be.  He  had  been  his  medical  ad- 
viser for  many  years,  and  as  a  mark  of  respect  for 
his  disinterested  services  to  his  fellow-men,  he  uni- 
formly declined  to  receive  any  compensation. 

Neighbors  and  acquaintances  of  recent  date,  like- 
wise manifested  their  respect  for  the  invalid  by  all 
manner  of  attentions.  Gentlemen  sent  choice  wines, 
and  ladies  offered  fruit  and  flowers.  Market  people, 
who  knew  him  in  the  way  of  business,  brought  deli- 
cacies of  various  kinds  for  his  acceptance.  He  was 
gratified  by  such  tokens  of  regard,  and  manifested  it 
in  many  pleasant  little  ways.  One  of  his  sons  had 
presented  him  a  silver  goblet,  with  the  word  "Fa- 
ther" inscribed  upon  it ;  and  whenever  he  was  about 
to  take  nourishment,  he  would  say,  "Give  it  to  me 
in  John's  cup."  When  his  little  grand-daughter 
brought  flowers  from  the  garden,  he  was  careful  to 
have  them  placed  by  the  bedside,  where  he  could  see 
them  continually.  After  he  was  unable  to  rise  to 
take  his  meals,  he  asked  to  have  two  cups  and  plates 


476  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

brought  to  him,  if  it  were  not  too  .much  trouble  ;  for 
he  said  it  would  seem  pleasant,  and  like  old  times,  to 
have  Hannah's  company.  So  his  wife  ate  with  him, 
as  long  as  he  was  able  to  partake  of  food.  A  china 
bird,  which  a  ransomed  slave  had  given  to  his  daugh- 
ter, when  she  was  a  little  girl,  was  placed  on  the 
mantel-piece,  because  he  liked  to  look  at  it.  A  visi- 
tor, to  whom  he  made  this  remark  one  day,  replied, 
"It  must  be  very  pleasant  to  ypu  now  to  remember 
how  many  unfortunate  beings  you  have  helped."  He 
looked  up,  and  answered  with  frank  simplicity,  "Yes, 
it  is  pleasant." 

He  made  continual  efforts  to  conceal  that  he  was 
in  pain.  When  they  asked  why  he  was  so  often 
singing  to  himself,  he  replied,  "If  I  didn't  sing,  I 
should  groan."  Even  as  late  as  the  day  before  he 
died,  he  indulged  in  some  little  "  Cheer-yble"  plea- 
santries, evidently  intended  to  enliven  those  who 
were  nearly  exhausted  by  their  long  attendance  on 
him.  At  this  period,  his  son-in-law,  James  S.  Gib- 
bons, wrote  to  me  thus  :  "  Considering  his  long  bodi- 
ly weakness,  now  ten  weeks,  he  is  in  an  extraordina- 
ry state  of  mental  strength  and  clearness.  Reminis- 
cences are  continually  falling  from  his  lips,  like 
leaves  in  autumn  from  an  old  forest  tree  ;  not  indeed 
green,  but  rich  in  the  colors  that  are  of  the  tree,  and 
characteristic.  Thou  hast  known  him  in  the  extra- 
ordinary vigor  and  freshness  of  his  old  age ;  cheat- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  477 

ing  time  even  out  of  turning  his  hair  gray.  But 
thou  shouldst  see  him  now ;  when,  to  use  his  own 
words,  he  feels  that  'the  messenger  has  come.'  All 
his  thoughts  have  tended  to,  and  reached  this  point. 
The  only  question  with  him  now  is  of  a  few  more 
days.  Though  prostrate  in  body,  his  mind  is  like  a 
sturdy  old  oak,  that  don't  care  which  way  the  wind 
blows.  As  I  sat  by  his  bedside,  last  evening,  I 
thought  I  never  had  seen  so  beautiful  a  close  to  a 
good  man's  life." 

He  had  no  need  to  make  a  will ;  for  he  died,  as  he 
had  lived,  without  property.  But  he  disposed  of  his 
little  keepsaltes  with  as  much  cheerfulness  as  if  he 
had  been  making  New-Year's  presents.  He  seemed 
to  remember  everybody  in  the  distribution.  His 
Quaker  library  was  left  in  the  care  of  his  children, 
with  directions  that  it  should  be  kept  where  mem- 
bers of  the  Society  of  Friends  or  others  interested 
could  have  ready  access  to  it.  To  his  daughter  Sa- 
rah he  entrusted  the  paper  written  by  her  mother,  at 
fourteen  years  of  age ;  still  fastened  by  the  pin  she 
had  placed  in  it,  which  her  dear  hand  had  invested 
with  more  value  than  a  diamond,  in  his  eyes.  He 
earnestly  recommended  his  wife  to  the  affectionate 
care  of  his  children ;  reminding  them  that  she  had 
been  a  kind  and  faithful  companion  to  him  during 
many  years.  He  also  gave  general  directions  con- 
cerning his  funeral.  "Don't  take  the  trouble  to 


O 


478  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

make  a  shroud,"  said  he.  "  One  of  my  night-shirts 
will  do  as  well.  I  should  prefer  to  be  buried  in  a 
white  pine  coffin ;  but  that  might  be  painful  to  my 
family  ;  and  I  should  not  like  to  afflict  them  in  any 
way.  It  may,  therefore,  be  of  dark  wood  ;  but  be  sure 
to  have  it  entirely  plain,  without  varnish  or  inscrip- 
tion. Have  it  made  by  some  poor  neighbor,  and  pay 
him  the  usual  price  of  a  handsome  one  ;  for  I  merely 
wish  to  leave  a  testimony  against  vain  show  on  such 
occasions."  He  appeared  to  be  rather  indifferent 
where  he  was  buried  ;  but  when  he  was  informed 
that  his  son  and  daughter  had  purchased  a  lot  at 
Greenwood  Cemetery,  it  seemed  pleasant  to  him  to 
think  of  having  them  and  their  families  gathered 
round  him,  and  he  consented  to  be  laid  there. 

I  was  summoned  to  his  death-bed,  and  arrived  two 
days  before  his  departure.  I  found  his  mind  perfect- 
ly bright  and  clear.  He  told  over  again  some  of  his 
old  reminiscences,  and  indulged  in  a  few  of  his  cus- 
tomary pleasantries.  He  spoke  of  rejoining  his  be- 
loved Sarah,  and  his  ancient  friends  William  Savery, 
Nicholas  Wain,  Thomas  Scattergood,  and  others, 
with  as  much  certainty  and  pleasure  as  if  he  had 
been  anticipating  a  visit  to  Pennsylvania.  Some- 
times, when  he  was  much  exhausted  with  physical 
pain,  he  would  sigh  forth,  "  Oh,  for  rest  in  the  king- 
dom of  heaven !"  But  nothing  that  approached 
nearer  to  complaint  or  impatience  escaped  his  lips. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  479 

On  the  last  day,  he  repeated  to  me,  what  he  had  pre- 
viously said  to  others,  that  he  sometimes  seemed  to 
hear  voices  singing,  "We  have  come  to  take  thee 
home."  Once,  when  no  one  else  happened  to  be 
near  him,  he  said  to  me  in  a  low,  confidential  tone, 
/'Maria,  is  there  anything  peculiar  in  this  room?"  I 
replied,  "No.  Why  do  you  ask  that  question?" 
"Because,"  said  he,  "you  all  look  so  beautiful;  and 
the  covering  on  the  bed  has  such  glorious  colors,  as 
I  never  saw.  But  perhaps  I  had  better  not  have  said 
anything  about  it."  The  natural  world  was  transfigur- 
ed to  his  dying  senses ;  perhaps  by  an  influx  of  light 
from  the  spiritual ;  and  I  suppose  he  thought  I  should 
understand  it  as  a  sign  that  the  time  of  his  departure 
drew  nigh.  It  was  a  scene  to  remind  one  of  Jeremy 
Taylor's  eloquent  words  :  "When  a  good  man  dies, 
one  that  hath  lived  innocently,  then  the  joys  break 
forth  through  the  clouds  of  sickness,  and  the  con- 
science stands  upright,  and  confesses  the  glories  of 
God :  and  owns  so  much  integrity,  that  it  can  hope 
for  pardon,  and  obtain  it  too.  Then  the  sorrows  of 
sickness  do  but  untie  the  soul  from  its  chain,  and  let 
it  go  forth,  first  into  liberty,  and  then  into  glory." 

A  few  hours  before  he  breathed  his  last,  he  rallied 
from  a  state  of  drowsiness,  and  asked  for  a  box  con- 
taining his  private  papers.  He  wished  to  find  one, 
which  he  thought  ought  to  be  destroyed,  lest  it  should 
do  some  injury.  He  put  on  his  spectacles,  and  looked 


480  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

at  the  papers  which  were  handed  him ;  but  the  old 
man's  eyes  were  dimmed  with  death,  and  he  could 
riot  see  the  writing.  After  two  or  three  feeble  and 
ineffectual  attempts,  he  took  off  his  spectacles,  writh 
a  trembling  hand,  and  gave  them  to  his  beloved 
daughter,  Sarah,  saying,  "Take  them,  my  child,  and 
keep  them.  They  were  thy  dear  mother's.  I  can 
never  use  them  more."  The  scene  was  inexpressi- 
bly affecting ;  and  we  all  wept  to  see  this  untiring 
friend  of  mankind  compelled  at  last  to  acknowledge 
that  he  could  work  no  longer. 

Of  his  sixteen  children,  ten  were  living ;  and  all 
but  two  of  them  were  able  to  be  with  him  in  these 
last  days.  He  addressed  affectionate  exhortations  to 
them  at  various  times ;  and  a  few  hours  before  he 
died,  he  called  them,  one  by  one,  to  his  bedside,  to 
receive  his  farewell  benediction.  At  last,  he  whis- 
pered my  name ;  and  as  I  knelt  to  kiss  his  hand,  he 
said  in  broken  accents,  and  at  long  intervals,  "Ma- 
ria, tell  them  I  loved  them though  I  felt  called 

to  resist some  who  claimed  to  be  rulers  in  Israel 

1  never  meant ."     His  strength  was  nearly 

exhausted ;  but  after  a  pause,  he  pressed  my  hand, 
and  added,  "Tell  them  I  love  them  aZZ."  I  had  pre- 
viously asked  and  obtained  permission  to  write  his 
biography ;  and  from  these  broken  sentences,  I  un- 
derstood that  he  wished  me  to  convey  in  it  a  mes- 
sage to  the  Society  of  Friends ;  including  the  "  Or- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  481 

thodox"  branch,  with  whom  he  had  been  brought  into 
painful  collision,  in  years  gone  by. 

After  several  hours  of  restlessness  and  suffering, 
he  fell  into  a  tranquil  slumber,  which  lasted  a  long 
time.  The  serene  expression  of  his  countenance  re- 
mained unchanged,  and  there  was  no  motion  of  limb 
or  muscle,  when  the  spirit  passed  away.  This  was 
between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  on  the 
seventh  of  May,  1852.  After  a  long  interval  of  si- 
lent weeping,  his  widow  laid  her  head  on  the  shoul- 
der of  one  of  his  sons,  and  said,  "Forty-seven  years 
ago  this  very  day,  my  good  father  died  ;  and  from 
that  day  to  this,  he  has  been  the  best  friend  I  ever 
had." 

No  public  buildings  were  hung  with  crape,  when 
news  went  forth  that  the  Good  Samaritan  had  gone. 
But  prisoners,  and  poor  creatures  in  dark  and  deso- 
late corners,  wept  when  they  heard  the  tidings.  Ann 
W.  with  whose  waywardness  he  had  borne  so  pa- 
tiently, escaped  from  confinement,  several  miles  dis- 
tant, and  with  sobs  implored  "to  see  that  good  old 
man  once  more."  Michael  Stanley  sent  the  following 
letter  to  the  Committee  of  the  Prison  Association  : 
"When  I  read  the  account  of  the  venerable  Friend 
Hopper's  death,  I  could  not  help  weeping.  It  touch- 
ed a  tender  chord  in  my  heart,  when  I  came  to  the 
account  of  his  being  the  prisoner's  friend.  My  soul 

responded  to  that ;  for  I  had  realized  it.     About  six 
21 


482  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

years  ago,  I  was  one  of  those  who  got  good  advice 
from  '  the  old  man.'  I  carried  it  out,  and  met  with 
great  success.  I  was  fatherless,  motherless,  and 
friendless,  with  no  home,  nobody  to  take  me  by  the 
hand.  I  felt,  as  the  poet  has  it, 

'  A  pilgrim  stranger  here  I  roam, 

From  place  to  place  I'm  driven ; 

My  friends  are  gone,  and  I'm  in  gloom ; 

This  earth  is  all  a  lonely  tomb ; 

I  have  no  home  but  heaven.' 

Go  on  in  the  work  of  humanity  and  love,  till  the 
Good  Master  shall  say,  'It  is  enough.  Come  up 
higher.' " 

Nearly  all  the  domestics  in  Friend  Hopper's  neigh- 
borhood attended  the  funeral  solemnities.  One  of 
these  said  with  tears,  "I  am  an  orphan;  but  while 
he  lived,  I  always  felt  as  if  I  had  a  father.  He  al- 
ways had  something  pleasant  to  say  to  me,  but  now 
everything  seems  gone."  A  very  poor  man,  who 
had  been  an  object  of  his  charity,  and  whom  he  had 
employed  in  many  little  services,  could  not  rest  till 
he  had  earned  enough  to  buy  a  small  Arbor-vitse, 
(Tree  of  Life,)  to  plant  upon  his  grave. 

The  Executive  Committee  of  the  Prison  Associa- 
tion met,  and  passed  the  following  Resolutions  : 

"Resolved: — That  the  combination  of  virtues  which 
distinguished  and  adorned  the  character  of  our  lamented 
friend,  eminently  qualified  him  for  the  accomplishment  of 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  483 

those  benevolent  and  philanthropic  objects  to  which  he 
unremittingly  devoted  a  life  far  more  extended  than  ordi- 
narily falls  to  man's  inheritance. 

"  That  in  our  intimate  associations  with  him  for  many 
years,  he  has  uniformly  displayed  a  character  remarkable 
for  its  disinterestedness,  energy,  fearlessness,  and  Chris- 
tian principle,  in  every  good  word  and  work. 

"That  we  tender  to  the  family  and  friends  of  the 
deceased  our  sincere  condolence  and  sympathy  in  their 
sore  bereavement,  but  whilst  sensible  that  words,  how- 
ever truly  uttered,  cannot  compensate  for  the  loss  of  such 
a  husband,  father,  and  guide,  we  do  find  both  for  our- 
selves and  for  them,  consolation  in  the  belief  that  his 
peaceful  end  was  but  the  prelude  to  the  bliss  of  Heaven. 

"That  in  the  death  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  the  community 
is  called  to  part  with  a  citizen  of  transcendent  worth  and 
excellence ;  the  prisoner,  with  an  unwearied  and  well- 
tried  friend ;  the  poor  and  the  homeless,  with  a  father 
and  a  protector ;  the  church  of  Christ,  with  a  brother 
whose  works  ever  bore  unfailing  testimony  to  his  faith  ; 
and  the  world  at  large,  with  a  philanthropist  of  the  purest 
and  most  uncompromising  integrity,  whose  good  deeds 
were  circumscribed  by  no  sect,  party,  condition  or  clime." 

The  American  Anti-Slavery  Society  received  the 
tidings  while  they  were  in  session  at  Rochester. 
Mr.  Garrison,  after  a  brief  but  eloquent  tribute  to 
the  memory  of  the  deceased,  offered  the  following 
Resolution : 


484  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

"Resolved : — That  it  is  with  emotions  too  profound  for 
utterance,  that  this  Society  receives  the  intelligence  of 
the  decease  of  the  venerable  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  on  Tues- 
day evening  last,  in  the  city  of  New- York;  the  friend 
of  the  friendless — boundless  in  his  compassion — exhaust- 
less  in  his  benevolence — untiring  in  his  labors — the  most 
intrepid  of  philanthropists,  who  never  feared  the  face  of 
man,  nor  omitted  to  bear  a  faithful  testimony  against 
injustice  and  oppression — the  early,  steadfast,  heroic 
advocate  and  protector  of  the  hunted  fugitive  slave,  to 
whose  sleepless  vigilance  and  timely  aid  multitudes  have 
been  indebted  for  their  deliverance  from  the  Southern 
House  of  Bondage  ; — in  whom  were  equally  blended  the 
gentleness  of  the  lamb  with  the  strength  of  the  lion — the 
wisdom  of  the  serpent  with  the  harmlessness  of  the  dove  ; 
and  who,  when  the  ear  heard  him,  then  it  blessed  him, 
when  the  eye  saw  him,  it  gave  witness  to  him,  because 
he  delivered  the  poor  that  cried,  and  the  fatherless,  and 
him  that  had  none  to  help  him.  The  blessing  of  him 
that  was  ready  to  perish  came  upon  him,  and  he  caused 
the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for  joy.  He  put  on  righteous- 
ness, and  it  clothed  him ;  his  judgment  was  as  a  robe  and 
a  diadem.  He  was  eyes  to  the  blind,  and  feet  was  he  to 
the  lame.  The  cause  which  he  knew  not  he  searched  out, 
and  he  broke  the  jaws  of  the  wicked,  and  plucked  the 
spoil  out  of  its  teeth. 

He  moved  that  a  copy  of  this  resolution  be  forwarded 
in  an  official  form  to  the  estimable  partner  of  his  life,  and 
the  children  of  his  love,  accompanied  by  an  assurance 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

of  our  deepest  sympathy,  in  view  of  their  great  bereave- 
ment. 

Several  spoke  in  support  of  the  Resolution,  which 
was  unanimously  and  cordially  adopted. 

The  Committee  of  the  Prison  Association  desired 
to  have  public  funeral  solemnities,  and  the  family 
complied  with  their  wishes.  Churches  of  various 
denominations  were  immediately  offered  for  the  pur- 
pose, including  the  meeting-houses  of  both  branches 
of  the  Society  of  Friends.  The  Tabernacle  was  ac- 
cepted. Judge  Edmonds,  who  had  been  an  efficient 
co-laborer,  and  for  whom  Friend  Hopper  had  a  strong 
personal  affection,  offered  a  feeling  tribute  to  the  vir- 
tues and  abilities  of  his  departed  friend.  He  was 
followed  by  Lucretia  Mott,  a  widely  known  and 
highly  respected  minister  among  Friends.  In  her 
appropriate  and  interesting  communication,  she  dwelt 
principally  upon  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  colored 
people ;  for  whose  sake  she  also  had  encountered 
obloquy. 

The  Society  of  Friends  in  Hester-street,  to  which 
he  had  formerly  belonged,  offered  the  use  of  their 
burying-ground.  It  was  kindly  meant ;  but  his  chil- 
dren deeply  felt  the  injustice  of  their  father's  expul- 
sion from  that  Society,  for  no  other  offence  than  fol- 
lowing the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience.  As  his 
soul  had  been  too  much  alive  for  them,  when  it  was 


486  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

in  the  body,  their  unity  with  the  lifeless  form  was 
felt  to  avail  but  little. 

The  body  was  conveyed  to  Greenwood  Cemetery, 
followed  only  by  the  family,  and  a  very  few  intimate 
friends.  Thomas  McClintock,  a  minister  in  the  So- 
ciety of  Friends,  addressed  some  words  of  consola- 
tion to  the  bereaved  family,  as  they  stood  around  the 
open  grave.  Lucretia  Mott  affectionately  commend- 
ed the  widow  to  the  care  of  the  children.  In  the 
course  of  her  remarks,  she  said,  "  I  have  no  unity 
with  these  costly  monuments  around  me,  by  which 
the  pride  and  vanity  of  man  strive  to  extend  them- 
selves beyond  the  grave.  But  I  like  the  idea  of  bu- 
rial grounds  where  people  of  all  creeds  repose  to- 
gether. It  is  pleasant  to  leave  the  body  of  our  friend 
here,  amid  the  verdant  beauty  of  nature,  and  the 
sweet  singing  of  birds.  As  he  was  a  fruitful  bough, 
that  overhung  the  wall,  it  is  fitting  that  he  should 
not  be  buried  within  the  walls  of  any  sectarian  en- 
closure." 

Three  poor  little  motherless  German  boys  stood 
hand  in  hand  beside  the  grave.  Before  the  earth 
was  thrown  in,  the  eldest  stepped  forward  and  drop- 
ped a  small  bouquet  on  the  coffin  of  his  benefactor. 
He  had  gathered  a  few  early  spring  flowers  from  the 
little  garden  plot,  which  his  kind  old  friend  used  to 
cultivate  with  so  much  care,  and  with  childish  love 
and  reverence  he  dropped  them  in  his  grave. 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  487 

Soon  after  the  funeral  Lucretia  Mott  called  a 
meeting  of  the  colored  people  in  Philadelphia,  and 
delivered  an  address  upon  the  life  and  services  of 
their  friend  and  protector.  There  was  a  very  large 
audience  ;  and  among  them  were  several  old  people, 
who  well  remembered  him  during  his  residence  in  that 
city.  At  the  Yearly  Meeting  also  she  paid  a  tribute 
to  his  virtues  ;  it  being  the  custom  of  Friends,  on 
such  occasions,  to  make  tender  allusion  to  the  wor- 
thies who  have  passed  from  among  them  in  the 
course  of  the  year. 

The  family  received  many  letters  of  sympathy  and 
condolence,  from  which  I  will  make  a  few  brief  ex- 
tracts. Mrs.  Marianne  C.  D.  Silsbee,  of  Salem, 
Massachusetts,  thus  speaks  of  him,  in  a  letter  to  his 
son  John  :  "I  have  thought  much  of  you  all,  since 
your  great  loss.  How  you  must  miss  his  grand,  con- 
stant example  of  cheerful  trust,  untiring  energy,  and 
love  to  all !  What  a  joy  to  have  had  such  a  father  ! 
To  be  the  son  of  such  a  man  is  ground  for  honest 
pride.  The  pleasure  of  having  known  him,  the 
honor  of  having  been  in  social  relations  with  him,  will 
always  give  a  charm  to  my  life.  I  cherish  among  my 
most  precious  recollections  the  pleasant  words  he 
has  so  often  spoken  to  me.  I  can  see  him  while  I 
write,  as  vividly  as  though  he  were  with  me  now ; 
and  never  can  his  benign  and  beautiful  countenance 
lose  its  brightness  in  my  memory.  Dear  old  friend  ! 


488  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

We  cannot  emulate  your  ceaseless  good  works  ;  but 
we  can  follow,  and  we  can  love  and  remember." 

Mrs.  Mary  E.  Stearns,  of  Medford,  Massachusetts, 
wrote  as  follows  to  Rosalie  Hopper  :  "  The  Telegraph 
has  announced  that  the  precious  life  you  were  all  so 
anxiously  watching  has  'passed  on,'  and  that  myste- 
rious change  we  call  death  has  taken  it  from  your 
midst  forever.  It  is  such  a  beautiful  day  !  The  air  is 
so  soft,  the  grass  so  green,  and  the  birds  singing  so 
joyously  !  The  day  and  the  event  have  become  so 
interwoven  with  each  other,  that  I  cannot  separate 
them.  I  think  of  his  placid  face,  sleeping  its  last 
still  sleep ;  and  through  the  open  window,  I  see  the 
springing  grass  and  the  bursting  buds.  My  ears  are 
filled  with  bird-music,  and  all  other  sounds  are  hush- 
ed in  this  Sabbath  stillness.  All  I  see  and  hear 
seems  to  be  hallowed  by  his  departed  spirit.  Ah,  it 
is  good  to  think  of  his  death  in  the  Spring  time  !  It 
is  good  that  his  soul,  so  fresh,  so  young  and  hopeful, 
should  burst  into  a  higher  and  more  glorious  life,  as 
if  in  sympathy  with  the  ever  beautiful,  ever  wonder- 
ful resurrection  of  nature.  Dear,  blessed  old  man  ! 
I  shall  never  see  his  face  again  ;  but  his  memory  will 
be  as  green  as  this  springing  grass,  and  we  shall  al- 
ways think  and  talk  of  our  little  experience  with 
him,  as  one  of  the  golden  things  that  can  never  pass 
away." 

Dr.  Russ,  his  beloved  co-laborer  in  the  Prison  As- 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  489 

sociation,  wrote  thus  in  a  note  to  Mrs.  Gibbons  :  "I 
have  found  it  for  my  comfort  to  change  the  furniture 
of  the  office,  that  it  might  not  appear  so  lonely  with- 
out your  dear,  venerable  father.  I  felt  for  him  the 
warmest  and  most  enduring  friendship.  I  esteemed 
him  for  his  thousand  virtues,  and  delighted  in  his  so- 
cial intercourse.  I  am  sure  no  one  out  of  his  own 
immediate  family,  felt  his  loss  more  keenly  than  my- 
self." 

James  H.  Titus,  of  New- York,  thus  expresses 
himself  in  a  letter  to  James  S.  Gibbons:  "I  have 
ever  considered  it  one  of  the  happiest  and  most  for- 
tunate events  of  my  life,  to  have  had  the  privilege  of 
an  acquaintance  with  Friend  Hopper.  I  shall  always 
recur  to  his  memory  with  pleasure,  and  I  trust  with 
that  moral  advantage,  which  the  recollection  of  his 
Christian  virtues  is  so  eminently  calculated  to  pro 
duce.  How  insignificant  the  reputation  of  riches, 
how  unsatisfactory  the  renown  of  victory  in  war, 
how  transient  political  fame,  when  compared  with 
the  history  of  a  long  life  spent  in  services  rendered 
to  the  afflicted  and  the  unfortunate  !" 

Ellis  Gray  Loring,  of  Boston,  in  a  letter  to  John 
Hopper,  says  :  "We  heard  of  your  father's  death  while 
we  were  in  Eome.  I  could  not  restrain  a  few  tears  , 
and  yet  God  knows  there  is  no  room  for  tears  about 
the  life  or  death  of  such  a  man.  In  both,  he  was  a 

blessing  and  encouragement  to  all  of  us.     He  really 
21* 


490  LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

lived  out  all  the  life  that  was  given  him ;  filling  it  up 
to  such  an  age  with  the  beauty  of  goodness,  and 
consecrating  to  the  divinest  purposes  that  wronderful 
energy  of  intellect  and  character.  In  a  society  full 
of  selfishness  and  pretension,  it  is  a  great  thing  to 
have  practical  proof  that  a  life  and  character  like 
his  are  possible." 

Edmund  L.  Benzon,  of  Boston,  writing  to  the 
same,  says;  "You  will  imagine,  better  than  I  can 
write,  with  what  deep  sympathy  I  learned  the  death 
of  your  good  father,  whom  I  have  always  esteemed 
one  of  the  best  of  men.  I  cannot  say  I  am  sorry  for 
his  death.  My  only  regret  is  that  more  of  us  cannot 
live  and  die  as  he  has  done.  I  feel  with  regard  to 
all  good  men  departed,  whom  I  have  personally 
known,  that  there  is  now  another  witness  in  the  spi- 
rit, before  whose  searching  eyes  my  inmost  soul  lies 
open.  I  shall  never  forget  him  ;  not  even  if  such  a 
green  old  age  as  his  should  be  my  own  portion.  If 
in  the  future  life  I  can  only  be  as  near  him  as  I  was 
on  this  earth,  I  shall  deem  myself  blest." 

From  the  numerous  notices  in  papers  of  all  par- 
ties and  sects,  I  will  merely  quote  the  following : 
The  New- York  Observer  thus  announces  his  death : 

"The  venerable  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  whose  placid  bene 
volent  face  has  so  long  irradiated  almost  every  public 
meeting  for  doing  good,  and  whose  name,  influence,  and 
labors    have    been  devoted  with   an  apostolic    simplicity 


LIFE    OF   ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  491 

and  constancy  to  humanity,  died  on  Friday  last,  at  an 
advanced  age.  He  was  a  Quaker  of  that  early  sort 
illustrated  by  such  philanthropists  as  Anthony  Benezet, 
Thomas  Clarkson,  Mrs.  Fry,  and  the  like. 

He  was  a  most  self-denying,  patient,  loving  friend  of 
the  poor,  and  the  suffering  of  every  kind ;  and  his  life 
was  an  unbroken  history  of  beneficence.  Thousands  of 
hearts  will  feel  a  touch  of  grief  at  the  news  of  his  death  ; 
for  few  men  have  so  large  a  wealth  in  the  blessings  of  the 
poor,  and  the  grateful  remembrance  of  kindness  and 
benevolence,  as  he." 

The  New- York  Sunday  Times  contained  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"Most  of  our  readers  will  call  to  mind  in  connection 
with  the  name  of  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  the  compact,  well-knit 
figure  of  a  Quaker  gentleman,  apparently  about  sixty 
years  of  age,  dressed  in  drab  or  brown  clothes  of  the 
plainest  cut,  and  bearing  on  his  handsome,  manly  face  the 
impress  of  that  benevolence  with  which  his  whole  heart 
was  filled. 

He  was  twenty  years  older  than  he  seemed.  The 
fountain  of  benevolence  within,  freshened  his  old  age 
with  its  continuous  flow.  The  step  of  the  octogenarian, 
was  elastic  as  that  of  a  boy,  his  form  erect  as  the  moun- 
tain pine. 

His  whole  physique  was  a  splendid  sample  of  nature's 
handiwork.  We  see  him  now  with  our  "mind's  eye" — 
but  with  the  eve  of  flesh  we  shall  see  him  no  more. 


492  JJFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER. 

Void  of  intentional  offence  to  God  or  man,  his  spirit  has 
joined  its  happy  kindred  in  a  world  where  there  is  neither 
sorrow  nor  perplexity." 

I  sent  the  following  communication  to  the  New- 
York  Tribune : 

"In  this  world  of  shadows,  few  things  strengthen  the 
soul  like  seeing  the  calm  and  cheerful  exit  of  a  truly  good 
man  ;  and  this  has  been  my  privilege  by  the  bedside  of 
ISAAC  T.  HOPPER. 

He  was  a  man  of  remarkable  endowments,  both  of  head 
and  heart.  His  clear  discrimination,  his  unconquerable 
will,  his  total  unconsciousness  of  fear,  his  extraordinary 
tact  in  circumventing  plans  he  wished  to  frustrate,  would 
have  made  him  illustrious  as  the  general  of  an  army ;  and 
these  qualities  might  have  become  faults,  if  they  had  not 
been  balanced  by  an  unusual  degree  of  conscientiousness 
and  benevolence.  He  battled  courageously,  not  from 
ambition,  but  from  an  inborn  love  of  truth.  He  circum- 
vented as  adroitly  as  the  most  practised  politician ;  but 
it  was  always  to  defeat  the  plans  of  those  who  oppressed 
God's  poor  ;  never  to  advance  his  own  self-interest. 

Few  men  have  been  more  strongly  attached  to  any  re- 
ligious society  than  he  was  to  the  Society  of  Friends, 
which  he  joined  in  the  days  of  its  purity,  impelled  by  his 
own  religious  convictions.  But  when  the  time  came  that 
tie  must  either  be  faithless  to  duty  in  the  cause  of  his 
enslaved  brethren,  or  part  company  with  the  Society  to 
which  he  was  bound  by  the  strong  and  sacred  ties  of  early 


LIFE    OF    ISAAC    T.    HOPPER.  493 

religious  feeling,  this  sacrifice  he  also  calmly  laid  on  the 
altar  of  humanity. 

During  nine  years  that  I  lived  in  his  household,  my 
respect  and  affection  for  him  continually  increased. 
Never  have  I  seen  a  man  who  so  completely  fulfilled 
the  Scripture  injunction,  to  forgive  an  erring  brother  "not 
only  seven  times,  but  seventy  times  seven."  I  have 
witnessed  relapse  after  relapse  into  vice,  under  circum- 
stances which  seemed  like  the  most  heartless  ingratitude 
to  him ;  but  he  joyfully  hailed  the  first  symptom  of  re- 
pentance, and  was  always  ready  to  grant  a  new  proba- 
tion. 

Farewell,  thou  brave  and  kind  old  Friend!  The 
prayers  of  ransomed  ones  ascended  to  Heaven  for  thee, 
and  a  glorious  company  have  welcomed  thee  to  the  Eter- 
nal City." 

On  a  plain  block  of  granite  at  Greenwood  Ceme 
tery,  is  inscribed : 

ISAAC    T.    HOPPER, 

BORN,    DECEMBER    3  D  ,     1771, 

ENDED    HIS    PILGRIMAGE,    MAY    7TH,     1852. 

"  Thou  henceforth  shalt  have  a  good  man's  calm, 
A  great  man's  happiness  ;  thy  zeal  shall  find 
Repose  at  length,  firm  Friend  of  human  kind." 


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AA    000  851  754 


